


Suns and Strawberries

by dearly__beloved



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Arranged Marriage, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Comfort, First Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Implied Childhood Sexual Abuse, Implied Jaesung, Implied Mpreg, M/M, Mentions of Sex, No Sex, No Smut, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Omega Mark Lee (NCT), Omega/Omega, Power Dynamics, Romance, This is cute despite the tags, no explicit underage sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:33:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21716164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dearly__beloved/pseuds/dearly__beloved
Summary: Ninth prince of the Sun Kingdom Lee Donghyuck is sold off in an arranged political marriage to secure his country's political borders.He does not expect to be married off to a crown prince and fall in love with an omega like himself.moved to ao3 account hoelisticfind me here
Relationships: Mark Lee/Lee Donghyuck, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Na Jaemin & Park Jisung, Na Jaemin/Park Jisung
Comments: 64
Kudos: 596





	1. Love Must be Mutual

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Completed 12/08/2019  
> Re-written 3/01/2020
> 
> No smut is featured but the work is labeled as underage because of implied sexual violence against omegas in this work, as well as one reference to sex. And there is child marriage in this work because of its historical nature. I would rather tag everything to make sure no one is triggered. Please do not read if it makes you uncomfortable.

_“Love does not dominate; it cultivates.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe_

“What do you mean I’m getting married!” Donghyuck cries out. His hazel eyes widen and flicker in a myriad of colored emotions, ranging from their usual amber to muddled flecks of green.

The young prince cannot believe what the king just commanded of him. It’s been months since Sun King Lee last summoned Donghyuck, much less directed at single word at him.

The last time he remembers talking to his father was his thirteenth birthday and he was still very much unpresented; Donghyuck admits his birthday must have been a disappointing moment for King Lee.

Most present as their sub-gender by the time they survive thirteen winters or in the case of the sunny land, thirteen summers. But by the time he greeted his guests for his coming of age celebration, his mind was flooded with chants of unpresented.

_Unpresented._

_Unpresented._

The omega prince was always afraid of how his life would branch out when he reached thirteen summers.

Would his body reach for the strength of an alpha? Yearn for the freedom of a beta?

Or be conflated with procreation like his two older sisters, both married off to nearby kingdoms to secure beneficial alliances to maintain the sun-kissed land’s sovereignty.

To present so late meant that there was something wrong with him. Anxiety manifests in the form of the withered sunflowers he wakes up to see each morning after his birthday; they can’t bloom here.

Donghyuck always hoped that he’d present as a beta.

Betas presented late because they are never in brash rush. Betas do not possess the external desire dominate or be loved as alphas and omegas are socially constructed to do so by many kingdoms to maintain a hierarchal order.

Betas always choose who they _want_ to be.

There is no brick road diverging in two or three for betas to choose to follow until the end.

Instead betas choose to wander on the soft grass to forge their own destiny or chose to indulge in pursuing every path possible. They opt to chase the white unfurling star without a care of the crossroads blocking its view.

There is no dream left untouched and abandoned by impending adulthood.

In the end, Donghyuck presents as an omega a year later— divine punishment for one who desires more than what will ever be allotted to him.

“I’m only fourteen years old,” the young prince continues, attempting to persuade his father to let him stay in the Sun Palace — at the very least for a couple more years.

One year is sufficient. Two years is generous.

“It’s customary for a prince of our kingdom to marry at the age of eighteen once he has received the blessing of the Sun goddess.”

Donghyuck words are laced with undeniable truth.

As per traditions grounded since the Sun goddess was born, her children participate in the Ceremony of Wonders the year they finally live to see eighteen blood-orange summers.

The Ceremony of Wonders allows Sun children be blessed with a newfound power unique to those directly descended of noble blood.

Being granted a gift wasn’t a sure thing of course, as all were not blessed equally.

His older brother, the crown prince, is blessed with the ability to make the sun shine during days of harvest and the second prince and first princess are blessed with a similar ability, but of a much lesser quality.

The second princess does not receive any magical ability but is gifted with great fertility, as she blesses her husband with two princes within the span of three years and servants spread rumors that she was pregnant again with twins.

Donghyuck dreams of the day that the Sun goddess will bless him like Jaehyun and Jihyo.

He yearns for his birthright ever since he was captivated by the crown prince using his magical power to signal the end of the silly and unpredictable spring.

Prince Jaehyun just turned eighteen and was given his title of crown prince for all of the Sun Kingdom to spectate.

Crown prince Jaehyun made the rainy spring day turn into a glorious summer.

_10-year-old Donghyuck takes the hand of his omega sire and younger brother Jisung and walks towards the courtyard._

_The sun rises and brightens everything in the kingdom. Clear rain drops leaves the foliage it once claimed as its home the night before._

_The eighteen-year-old alpha crown prince holds out his hand for the sun to grasp; The sun beams fall ever so gently. Everyone witnessed how much the sun adored him._

_Much more than the king and all of the crown princes that preceded him._

_The golden beams only ever skittered, never danced with such uncontained jubilee. The sunlight came so easily to Jaehyun, as if waiting for centuries for this moment to finally occur._ _The sunlight simply fell and danced around his fingers as if it was too shy to kiss it just yet._

_The rain that appeared on that day begins to dissipate and begins to adopt the form of sunlight. The entire kingdom rejoices. It had been weeks since the rainy season invaded the land and the farmers could not began the summer harvest._

_Without the summer, the red sun’s land would starve once again, resulting in another famine._

_Crown prince Jaehyun’s powers reflect the golden blood he inherited from his ancestors. He is the one fated to save their kingdom._

_Donghyuck desires to have any kind of blessing from the Sun goddess._

_He prays that one day the Sun will love him like crown prince Jaehyun. Perhaps not as much as Jaehyun; Jaehyun is perfect in every possible way. Jaehyun is fair and wonderful. Donghyuck is a dark and an unruly child._

_But if he could have the Sun look at him with the smallest amount of affection, he can die happy._

_So happy._

King Lee pays no attention to Donghyuck’s pleas, instead electing to speak to the beta advisor on his left about the arranged marriage.

“Father I won’t stand –”

“Ninth prince Donghyuck. It is not your place to argue against the King of this country, nonetheless, attempt to change your destiny. You will marry the into the second Lee Clan this upcoming winter and leave the palace until I command for your return.”

“Fa —”

“Don’t forget your place omega prince. The only use you have to the Sun Kingdom is to bear a child of the Winter and hope you can keep your future mate satisfied enough to prevent them from taking a second or third consort like first princess Jihyo was able to. You will bare this kingdom a child of Winter and provide security to our borders with this marriage.”

_Oh_ , Donghyuck realizes.

Of course his father wants to get rid of him. He is a male omega Afterall.

King Lee will finally have his way and get rid of his useless omega son.

Perhaps not as useless as before because now the two Lee clans are going to be reunited through marriage, but still very much useless.

Donghyuck isn’t an alpha like crown prince Jaehyun or an omega princess like his half-sister Yerim, who can bear a child for any other secondary gender and is currently engaged to an alpha prince in a foreign land too far for Donghyuck to ever dream of visiting.

Nor is he like Jisung, the youngest of the fifteen Sun children, unpresented and not yet blemished by his father’s schemes.

Donghyuck is a male omega that can only be bred by an alpha prince. An alpha prince that is also the child of second Lee clan.

The second Lee clan touched by Winter. The second Lee clan born from the same silver star as his father, but long since fragmented away after the second civil war.

Donghyuck’s never been to the snowy land nor has he ever met anyone kissed by the Winter goddess. He is being married to a stranger. Someone he has no feelings for other than fear.

Before tears threaten to pour out, King Lee continues his announcement, apathy clouding his dark eyes.

He never developed any affection for his omega son — who he’s always perceived as worthless even before he presented as an omega.

To King Lee, omegas were breeding stock waiting to be marked and claimed, like the cattle that grazed the fields during spring. Donghyuck – so young and filled with the sexualized terrorism that comes with presenting as an omega – can never feel safe as long as there are unwanted gazes from the men in his father’s court.

“You can bring that servant your omega sire bought you for your birthday as company. I suppose it’s a custom to gift the _bride_ one last parting gift.”

“Thank you your majesty.” Donghyuck bows, his golden ringlets falling on his face; young eyes begin to glisten with tears.

The tears fall like little pearls waiting to be caught by those greedy for its touch. But there is no one to catch the falling transparent pearls this lonely night.

Renjun is probably somewhere in the palace too preoccupied with packing Donghyuck’s belongings and saying goodbye to the rest of his fellow servants one last time to provide his prince any consolation.

“It will be my honor to serve our country well.”

“Advisor Kim, before you leave, order the guards to prepare the dowry for the Winter Kingdom. Be sure to give them a generous amount as we don’t have any princesses left to offer the Winter Star’s prince.”

This is the last command Donghyuck hears from his father before storming out of the grand hall and retreating to his chambers.

He only has a couple days before his father permanently sends him to the Winter Kingdom; and he doubts he can see his younger brother grow up to become a fine man and perhaps one day become general.

Jisung who still bears the hope of presenting as an alpha prince.

Not like Donghyuck who presented as a male omega: the rarest and most useless subset of the entire Sun Kingdom population.

Male omegas are and will always be considered the most inferior sub-gender because they can only bear offspring to male alphas unlike female omegas.

They were the class young boys hoped that they will never present as. Boys are meant to be strong and handsome and be able to care for their mates.

Male omegas are not capable of any of those things. Male omegas succumb to heats and are the ones that needed to be cared for.

Because of this omnipresent anxiety, boyhood in the Sun Kingdom is something that cannot be beautiful. Boyhood cannot be properly treasured like a child’s first wooden horse toy.

A boy can not play as freely as they should because it means that they’d taste a freedom they wouldn’t want to lose; an addicting happiness to be forgotten.

Stalking in the background of their daydreams, there is always the lingering fear one will become emasculated the moment they present as an omega.

They can no longer play games with their friends. They can no longer visit the playgrounds where they experience their first fall off the high swing.

Donghyuck’s seen how male and female omegas in the palace were harassed in the palace by alphas.

How he prays to the Sun goddess it wouldn’t happen to him as he holds his younger brother’s hand down the halls when their omega sire had left their world one lonely autumn night.

The orange leaves were never beautiful again. He wishes they’d stay yellow green forever.

Donghyuck’s mind is still heavily marked by the memory of how disappointed his father was when he presented as an omega.

The young omega likens the sad memory to an engraving on a doorknob.

When see the door that has all your answers, the polished silver reflects all of your fears before you can even attempt to open it. The look of disgust he couldn’t forget even now when he is running away to find some sliver of hope.

The ninth prince sprints towards his private quarters; they were located all the way on the other side of the castle, farther than the rest of the princes and princesses except for Jisung, the youngest of the fifteen children.

If he is fortunate enough, he won’t run into crown prince Jaehyun, who long since abandoned Donghyuck like he did the rest of the princes and princesses. Jaehyun did nothing to prevent Yerim from getting married nor did he do anything for Jihyo’s engagement.

He wouldn’t do anything to stop fourteen-year old Donghyuck from getting married to an alpha around thirty years his senior — with luck that right now can only be granted by a jar full of four-leaf clovers, maybe only an age difference of ten or fifteen years.

But his father cares too much about establishing an alliance with the Winter Star to secure Donghyuck a marriage of that type.

The sobbing boy needs to find Renjun and pack his possessions. He needs to say goodbye to Jisung one last time. Or at the very least write a note of farewell. Bidding farewell was something he could never do for Jihyo or Yerim, both of whom were now long gone and will never return back to play with him in the sunflower garden they cultivated during their childhood.

Yesterday seems so far and so full of memories he yearns can come back to make him jubilant once again.

Running is all Donghyuck has autonomy over his body right now.

He continues running and running until his legs can no longer give any more.

He trips on the laces of his dress shoes and immediately lifts himself up before a servant is given the opportunity to humiliate him by offering him help to get up. He does not to be given false sympathy.

Donghyuck feels his doe-like eyes dampen, but he prevents himself from crying his heart out on the Sun Palace floors by slapping his cheeks.

✿

“Are you okay Donghyuck?” Renjun queries as he packs Donghyuck’s robes and other personal belongings.

The omega servant is the same age as the ninth prince but was born in a different land. Donghyuck’s omega sire originally brought Renjun to keep his children company in the lonely palace of red suns.

He doesn’t need to voice his gratitude for his red puffy eyes glimmer with small optimism that Renjun will continue to keep him company.

Without Renjun’s companionship, he will certainly break. 

Donghyuck manages a small half smile. “I’m fine Renjun really. I can finally leave this palace and maybe I won’t be having to fight with a couple other concubine to bear the first prince in the family.”

Despite being a prince, Donghyuck doesn’t have many things to bring with him.

His fortune is limited by his sire’s status, a mere concubine with no noble status or backing. Donghyuck’s omega papa was brought to the palace as a trophy from a war his father won more than a decade ago now. He was never made a consort or given a status of a similar level as he was never a favorite of the king’s. Somehow he fell pregnant during one of his heats and gave birth to Donghyuck.

Years later, Jisung is born out of a similar circumstance.

As such, Donghyuck comes into the world without any hope of succeeding the throne. He’s lucky enough to be recognized as a prince instead of being relegated to a royal servant like other bastard children in the palace. Even if he is the child of a royal cconcubine, he is still an omega.

Omegas could never become king; male omegas could never reach that high and are destined to fall like Icarus. He is destined for any other role other than being a king.

“My prince —”

“It’s okay. It’s okay.” The ninth prince tries to convince himself. If I tell myself it’s true, then it is the truth.

If I tell myself it’s true, then _it is_ the truth.

“We both knew this arranged marriage was inevitable the moment I presented as an male omega. There’s no other use the King can find for me other than trying to pass me off as a respectable marriage candidate for the second Lee Clan. Really it’s all right Renjun.

“On the bright side, I might finally get to see winter for the first time. What did you call the white fluff that falls from the sky? The one we cannot see here.”

“Snow?”

“Yes! Snow! We can see snow and maybe we can make those men made of snow too? And maybe and maybe have one of those snowball fights Yerim told me about in one of her letters she sent me-Yerim!

"I almost forgot to send her a letter. Maybe I should send one to Jihyo as well. You know how sentimental she gets. Maybe she can make it to the wedding too? And maybe I can convince father to let me bring Jisung with me-”

Why does it feel so hot? Like the flaring desert prison behind the Sun Palace?

Why does it feel that his throat is beginning to dry up?

Words can no longer spill out of Donghyuck’s mouth and he feels like he’s going to explode like a mountaineer’s flare gun.

“Donghyuck!” Renjun jumps to reach the now trembling ninth prince, whose body is now profusely sweating and burning.

“Donghyuck can you hear me?” The omega servant yells out. “Donghyuck!”

Donghyuck no matter how much he tries, he can’t muster the strength to respond to Renjun’s pleas.

He can’t; It’s impossible.

He feels as though thorny bushes were beginning to grow within his throat, waiting to expulse red roses from his chest.

He tries reaching for his rose filled throat to alleviate the pain; The thickening continues and with each breathe he took, his life is shortening. He can no longer feel anything. He can no longer see anything.

Where is Renjun? Where is Jisung?

Where is Donghyuck?

The room is too bright for him to handle.

“Donghyuck can you hear me?” A familiar voice asks, fear very much present in his tone; underneath all the shaky words, is fondness and love.

The small omega tries to nod, assuming Renjun was finally able to reach him in the new dark crevices Donghyuck let himself fall in. From the lonely abyss, a beautiful and kind light pulls Donghyuck out and basks him in warmth.

“Everything will be okay. Trust me.”

He silently nods again, still trying to process everything that happened to him that day.

The ninth prince eventually tires himself out and falls into deep slumber, becoming enveloped the yellow platonic love’s comfort and warmth.

✿

The next morning before the orange-yellow sun has the chance to say hello to the world, King Lee sends Donghyuck and Renjun to the second kingdom of Lee.

The omega prince is given no opportunity to bid Jisung goodbye as the youngest prince was sent away to the Kingdom of the Sea a week ago to be under the tutelage of a foreign prince.

King Lee knew that Jisung would oppose Donghyuck’s marriage and make a fool of himself to keep Donghyuck with him. Their alpha father rid himself of the problem before it even had the chance to arise. 

All the golden omega can do is leave Jisung a letter and one letter for Jihyo and one letter for Yerim. Each letter contains a personalized announcement about his impending marriage.

Donghyuck doesn’t bother writing goodbye to the rest of his siblings; They never cared about him. They could have easily said goodbye. But not one of his siblings did.

Only Sicheng, Jaehyun’s personal advisor bids them farewell — and the beta only comes because Renjun asked him to.

The two were extremely close because they came from the same land, but Renjun had the unfortunate luck of presenting as an omega and was stripped of his blossoming academic career.

Sicheng assists Renjun with carrying and placing Donghyuck’s personal items into the carriage.

Just three chests, Renjun’s box of personal items he managed to purchase throughout the years with Donghyuck’s small allowance, and King Lee’s dowry for the Winter prince.

The Sun prince never felt as small and vulnerable as he did in the carriage.

Not even when he presented as an omega and had his first heat for all of his siblings to witness; His crown prince brother ended up prying an old alpha off of him and prevented the perverse man from forcibly mating the crying child.

Jaehyun ended the alpha’s claims that the child’s wildflower scent was too tempting to resist – like a bee drawn to honey suckles – with a punch to his left side and dismissed Donghyuck to his chambers.

The sobbing child spent his first heat alone with no one to provide him comfort or anyone to help him break his heat. His virginity was to be retained for his future mate. If anyone were to help Donghyuck with his heat, he would be a whore. Tainted and unable to be married off.

Behind him now was the Sun Palace. Donghyuck continues shaking in the carriage trying to grasp whatever warmth Renjun can provide him.

He doesn’t think much of it when Renjun’s embrace isn’t as warm as the other night.

✿

The Winter Kingdom doesn’t adhere to Donghyuck’s imagination. Never allowed to leave the palace or receive the same education as the rest of his siblings, Donghyuck’s whimsy pink daydreams built the world for him.

The Winter Kingdom is only a few days of travel away.

The only barrier Donghyuck sees between both lands is a mountain range that isn’t dangerous enough not to cross within two days and one night.

Well Donghyuck assumes what the large brown rocks he’s seeing is a mountain range. He’s never seen a mountain range before he set off to his new future.

The young golden omega decides he doesn’t like how rough the rocks and pebbles feel when the carriage steps on them. But he does like how little yellow flowers bloomed and created little paths along the cracks on the floor. He thinks that the yellow flowers were extremely courageous to blossom in a lonely place where no one could appreciate their ephemeral beauty.

He also likes how he can’t tell what will be behind the next corner. The Sun Palace had grown quite predictable his first fourteen years there. He knew which chambers were occupied by his siblings and which ones were no longer used.

Donghyuck also doesn’t like to remember that Jihyo and Yerim will never return. But he doesn’t need to be disappointed by the mountains and their short turns. He wouldn’t return to see them again once he steps foot in the Winter Palace.

Once they reach the end of the mountainous and rocky path, Donghyuck sees the kingdom blessed by the Winter goddess.

Unlike the Sun Kingdom, the Winter Kingdom appears less frightening.

The kingdom is a small town surrounded by lush pines that reached for the blue sky and small round houses. Each little house possesses a matching round roof made of beige colored wood and matching circular windows. The doors are the only things that remain rectangular in Donghyuck’s view. The homes are cute and small unlike the large white complexes the Sun Kingdom is known for.

Little children were playing so happily in the streets. And laughing so freely.

Not like the lark Donghyuck was inside the Sun Palace. Allowed to sing only when his father deemed it appropriate to do so. Only able to fly where there were no eyes to look at him and be tempted by his still changing body.

“Mister, do you want to play?” a small voice interjects.

Outside his carriage is a small little girl dressed in rags. Her hair is an unruly mess of chestnut colored curls, but there is something so lovely about them. Something Donghyuck does not deny to becoming instantly infatuated with.

“Prince Donghyuck I suggest you do not bother with that child,” his guard warns. “We will be late for your presentation.”

“I think we can afford a small detour. We are a day early and I wouldn’t want to impose on the Winter Kingdom too quickly.”

The statement is a command; A small command the guard can’t deny.

The command was and is prince Donghyuck’s only selfish request the past few years the guard knew the omega.

Prince Donghyuck rarely asks for anything and his requests are never ridiculous or grand — they usually consist of being read a book by one of the few literate servants or being allowed to see the sunset before darkness enveloped the sky. Very unlike the rest of his siblings, who asked for the latest fashions and jewels. The palace servants always comply knowing they’d receive a warmest smile full of gratitude.

The golden prince jumps out of his carriage with Renjun; Both omegas make sure they didn’t attract too much attention to themselves.

The small child beams and offers a small red rubber ball to the omega prince. “Thank you mister! Let’s play.”

The two run across the field of yellow flowers and play what the child refers to as “football”.

She kicks the little red ball to Donghyuck’s “goal post” and scores a point.

The prince is still confused by the game’s concept because he never played a game like this before. Nonetheless, he considers the game fun. His father never let Donghyuck play outside like this because of his secondary gender; Omegas were not allowed to partake in physical contact sports in his former kingdom.

But today he indulges in the fact that no one will know outside him, the girl, Renjun, and his royal guard.

Before leaving, he gives the child a couple gold coins from the dowry with the hope that she will be able to care for herself better than she currently can.

Perhaps one day he could return and help her more?

No, he doesn’t have enough power to come back. It doesn’t hurt to hope though.

Like the rest of the Winter Kingdom, the Winter Palace isn’t what Donghyuck expects to see.

Unlike the Sun Palace, where all of the kingdom’s wealth is accumulated, the Winter Palace shares a similar façade to the rest of the village homes; The only difference Donghyuck observes is the building’s size and magnitude.

Surrounding the palace is a small forest of pines and hills that will become covered in snow when the Winter goddess wakes up from her sleep.

Outside waiting for them are two guards a beta and an omega.

The two welcome them in and immediately take care of the small prince’s things.

The omega guard offers to lead them into the palace while the beta has their things sent to Donghyuck’s chambers.

“Just follow me my prince,” the omega beckons Donghyuck and Renjun.

“Usually you would be welcomed in the royal hall, but it has been repurposed for your wedding ceremony. Instead I will take you to the king and queen’s private studio.”

✿

“Good morning,” Donghyuck bows as the servant welcomes him in.

The same servant who fails to mention that the studio is as large as a royal hall, but he needs to regain his composure. The king and queen can’t see him get so nervous already.

“My name is Lee Donghyuck, the ninth prince of the Sun and this is my personal servant Renjun. It is my honor to be in your presence Queen and King of the Winter Star.”

“It’s our pleasure,” the Winter King quickly responds with a gentle tone, much unlike Donghyuck’s father.

The second King Lee has very soft features and is very handsome. He possesses short jet-black hair and warm brown eyes. His skin is a lovely white that reminds Donghyuck of what Renjun refers to as “snow”.

“We’ve been waiting in great excitement to meet you, right honey?”

Honey?

The omega prince has never heard a king call their royal consort honey. He has only ever heard that the most favored concubines were given that nickname. His own father never used that nickname for anyone, even his favorite consort, who happened to be Jaehyun’s omega sire.  
  
The Winter Queen fondly gleams back at her husband and then gives Donghyuck one as well.

She is the most beautiful person Donghyuck has ever had the pleasure of encountering all of his fourteen hazy summers on this earth.

Her hair isn’t quite as dark as her husband’s but not light either. It was a color that couldn’t quite decide what it wanted to be. There was an ashy tone casted over it that Donghyuck couldn’t describe with his limited vocabulary. Her eyes were a beautiful hazel color. Almost like honey. And her skin was a beautiful white. Much like the famous white snow and much more beautiful than Donghyuck’s dark tone — which only makes the omega even more self-conscious of his dark and unruly appearance.

It was obvious that both rulers were disappointed with what King Lee had offered them.

He gave them a defective ugly male omega in exchange for a powerful military alliance.

No wonder he made the royal advisor increase the dowry. Donghyuck is clearly not what the second Lee Clan wants.

Omegas are beautiful and dainty. Donghyuck is neither.

He can pass as a commoner if he had not worn the royal robes characteristic of the Summer Kingdom. Donghyuck’s hair is a mess of bronze curls that resembles a lark’s nest and his skin the color of a field peasant worker’s. He is short as he still had not grown into his sub-gender. And with his late presentation, he is probably infertile and unable to bear children.

A poor excuse of an omega.

“Yes we’ve been very excited to meet you, but we were told only you would come Donghyuck.”

Shit, Donghyuck thinks to himself.

He couldn’t leave Renjun back home and he brought Renjun assuming that the King and Queen of Winter wouldn’t deny him his request.

A child so young wasn’t normally a servant. Usually they were still in training until a master was chosen for them. Or worse.

Made an old alpha’s sex toy. A plaything. The practice was normalized in Donghyuck’s former kingdom, but he wasn’t sure if it was common here. And he would never risk Renjun’s future.

“I was still training in the palace your highness,” Renjun interjects to save Donghyuck from any possible punishment.

Neither omega was quite sure how the royals of this palace treated male omegas, even if they were princes and future royal consorts.

“At the time King Lee received the proposal, I had still not received my rank. So when the letter was written so advisor Kim didn’t think I was worthy of being mentioned. I apologize for not notifying you of this sooner.”

The Chinese omega bows with the hope he protected his dear friend from any future harm; He knows that King Lee let him come on purpose to demonstrate how much power he has over his prince despite how far they were from the Sun Palace.

It did not matter if there was a sea marking large boundaries between Donghyuck and his father, the latter would still be his master.

By allowing Renjun to come without notice, Donghyuck would inevitably be punished.

“No worries Renjun,” the Winter King softly chuckles. “I know that it must have been difficult to come on such short notice and some things get forgotten when you’re packing for your prince. We just asked because we didn’t expect prince Donghyuck to bring so little things with him and well the number of people didn’t quite add up. Rest assure we will send for you two to have more things, especially since you two are still growing and prince Donghyuck has only presented this year. We can’t have our son-in-law have so little.”

“Thank you your majesty. Rest assure my master will be pleased with whatever we are given.”

“You seem tired Donghyuck,” the Winter Queen redirects the flow of the conversation to focus on the omega prince.

Her gorgeous face is marked an expression the omega prince can’t quite discern — is the expression concern?

If Donghyuck wasn’t so filled with fear, he would have noticed she dropped all honorifics with him instead addressing him like a close family member.

“I’ll ask Yukhei to lead you to your chambers. I hope that you will find the room comfortable and to your liking. And don’t worry about meeting my son just yet. It’s bad luck for the grooms to see each other before the wedding in our kingdom.”

She gives Donghyuck a surprising wink, causing the younger to almost have a heart attack in front of the royal court.

“Yukhei please show Donghyuck and his companion to their chambers.”

A lanky alpha guard appears and bows; Yukhei shows them their side of the castle.

Sensing his Sun prince’s fear, Renjun makes sure the distance between them and the alpha guard is enough to keep them safe; Like Donghyuck, Renjun lives knowing he can never express his sexuality in front of an alpha.

The two are in this together.

Just the two of them.

✿

The Winter King and Queen gift Donghyuck a room much larger than the one his father gave him (and perhaps even larger than crown prince Jaehyun’s room). The room is much warmer too to help him adjust to the weather; The room is colored with a yellow hue and filled with flowers.

Sunflowers. So many sunflowers of so many shades of yellow and gold. And two beds for Donghyuck and his closest - well only - friend to share. He is grateful he wouldn’t have to separate from Renjun just yet. He would spend a couple days more with Renjun until he has to move to the crown prince’s chambers.

Renjun starts unpacking all of their things, which doesn’t take much time. The servant only owns a couple outfits (which Donghyuck insisted on buying with the little money his omega papa left him) and Donghyuck is the owner of only three small chests.

The dowry was now gone and probably somewhere else in the palace.

Renjun takes one bed and Donghyuck takes the other.

“Are you okay?” Renjun inquires before falling asleep. His eyes glisten, hinting at the omega prince to answer.

Donghyuck turns the corners of his mouth up and hopes his friend can’t smell his growing fear.

He’s been told that his honey scent turns utterly bitter when he is mad and sour when he is plagued with sadness.

It was not uncommon for an omega’s scent to change based on their mood, but it wasn’t common either. It just bares their hearts naked, ready to be exploited.

“I’m not sure Renjun. I’m not really sure but I’m happy that you two are with me right now.” His words weren’t the truth. But they weren’t a lie either. He can’t offer Renjun more. Not today. Probably not tomorrow either.

Renjun nuzzles the prince, hoping that the younger will have sweet dreams.

And he prays to the Sun goddess that his prince will have someone to love him. For in the years he had known his prince, no one has shown him more kindness than Donghyuck.

The wedding takes place the next day to the surprise of no one.

King Lee of the Sun Kingdom requested for the ceremony to occur as soon as possible so that he would be able to attend. He claimed that he has a meeting with the Land of Waves in three weeks and didn’t want to miss his son’s wedding.

But it was obvious that King Lee would not come.

There was no notice of the Sun King arriving or indicating that he will be late to his son’s wedding.

Donghyuck is dressed in white and in what he assumes to be a ceremonial wedding robe unique to the Winter Kingdom. On top of his fluffy brown hair is a crown of an assortment of golden flowers he’s never seen before. Had Donghyuck married for love and much later in life, he would have been elated and given a huge loving smile to his new husband.

But here he was trying to fake happiness in front of his future spouse, whom he had not been able to meet or been able to catch a glimpse of last night. Nor was he given a portrait of him like Jihyo and Yerim before their courtship began.

He has no clue who his husband is and that terrifies him so much to the point he feels another panic attack coming to take control of his body.

Renjun came in, ignoring the usual semantics of knocking on the door first. He sees no need to because he knows that Donghyuck needs him; Donghyuck needs a friend.

“My father isn’t here,” he states and looks outside the window.

Night is approaching as the sun yawns into purple darkness. The sky starts losing its clear blue, becoming painted in pinks and oranges before it finally becomes engulfed by the twinkling night.

“No,” the Chinese omega stills in his place. “But someone else from the royal family is to oversee that the ceremony takes place.”

Donghyuck laughs. The laugh isn’t boisterous or cheerful. Donghyuck’s laugh is full of blue sadness and a dull brown bitterness reflecting the route his life is taking.

A route he has no knowledge of and is forced to walk alone. There is no hand to firmly grasp and to provide assurance that everything will be okay. Jisung was sent away to the third Lee Kingdom of the Sea to train and he is too far to come to the ceremony.

The brown-haired omega prince refuses to let his mind become tinted with curiosity over his arranged marriage to a Winter prince.

Donghyuck comes to the belief that it was most likely the royal advisor his father would occasionally bed during his ruts who sold him to the Winter Kingdom; The same royal advisor he sometimes sees attempt to violently wash off how dirty he feels after being bedded by a man he did not love with soaps. But he never looks free of the sexual terror King Lee imposes; The beta always looks defeated.

Donghyuck steps out of his chambers with Renjun at his side.

If he could muster just a little flaming courage, he would run away and manage to find a way to reunite with Jisung.

But he’s a coward.

A male omega can _never_ run away from his fate.

According to Renjun — who was able to ask another servant — crown prince Mark is around his age. Only a couple years older. Not an old alpha like he’s been having nightmares about.

Crown prince Mark is an only child and thus Donghyuck will become the king consort the day queen Joohyun and king Junmyeon abdicated.

His father never informed him he’d be marrying the Winter Kingdom’s crown prince. He was only the ninth prince and the omega child of a concubine.

Someone intelligent and bright like Jihyo or beautiful like Yerim should have been the one marring crown prince Mark. Not him. Not an ugly male omega like himself with no proper education or financial backings other than the dowry his father sent with him.

“Don’t cry my prince,” Renjun starts wiping tears off Donghyuck’s face with a gentle caress. “It’s your wedding day. You should be happy!”

“We both know my father wanted to get rid of me since my papa died and since I presented as an omega not so long ago. This wedding was his chance to do that. I’m sure I will only disappoint the crown prince when he sees me. I’m not pretty like Yerim or talented and loved like Jihyo. Nor am I strong and intelligent like Jaehyun. I’m Donghyuck. Only a male omega.”

More tears spilled on the omega’s tinted cheeks.

Renjun continues removing the warm tears with a cloth.

“He will certainly be disappointed and send me back.”

The omega servant offers the prince a smile that knows so much — but it is information that cannot be shared just yet; It is a secret that makes Renjun sure of many things.

“If crown prince Mark is as kind as the servants say he is, he will surely fall in love with you. My prince I have no doubt he will love you. You have always been my favorite and I am sure you will be his. Have more faith in yourself. You will be loved. I promise you this. You do not see it now, but I am sure there is a reason why you were chosen to become the future consort of this kingdom. I do not think your father had much influence about the matter if you are marrying —”

“Your majesty,” Yukhei interrupts. “Your mate awaits you for the wedding ceremony.”

“I apologize for making you wait.”

The alpha guard leads Donghyuck and his servant to the main hall where the ceremony will take place.

Although Renjun promises him many things, Donghyuck’s heart is full of fright because of what is about to occur. He is still left in the dark about the Winter Kingdom’s customs regarding marriage. In the Sun Kingdom, the ceremony was rather short, and the alpha would claim their omega or beta spouse for everyone to witness. Not because of love, but because it meant that the omega or beta was their possession to keep.

“Um…here.” The alpha guard hands Donghyuck a single sunflower. The sunflower is of the white variety the Winter Kingdom is famous for cultivating. One he heard his older siblings talk about when they would plants sunflowers together.

“Um…you will need it for the ceremony. Usually the crown prince would give it to you, but he got really shy.”

Shy? Yukhei confounds Donghyuck with his statement. A shy crown prince?

“Um… please ignore what I said and follow me.” The alpha guard rubs the nape of his neck and continues leading the duo to the main hall.

Yukhei beckons one of the other guards to open the doors and Donghyuck is left amazed by what lies before him.

Inside the courtroom is an indoor garden.

Instead of the wooden polished floors he expected, his feet are met with soft and lush green grass and the same yellow flowers he sees pervade the Winter Kingdom — something unexpectantally warm and bright for a land blessed by snowfall.

The road leading to the crown prince is made out of flowers of all shades of yellow — Donghyuck’s favorite color. He’s never seen this species of flower before.

On the edge of the room were the nobles of the Winter Kingdom, whom surprisingly look so much kinder and warmer than those his father surrounded himself with. They did not adorn themselves with harems of omegas or betas to display how far their sphere of influence extended like Donghyuck expects.

Instead the nobles are accompanied by their mates and children and look extremely elated and blissful to witness such an event. The nobles do not sport the same shade of white Donghyuck did, but rather a drab beige color adorned with simple golden embroidery. Even the king and queen wear simple robes for the wedding. Before the nervous omega could observe more, he feels someone embrace him from behind.

“Donghyuck!” A familiar voice shouts and it’s a voice he wanted to hear for so long.

“Jisung?” Donghyuck can’t believe it. His younger brother is here. Here with him right now. His round doe eyes can’t help but to dampen with joy that Jisung is here.

“Don’t cry,” the child before him says as he wiped tears off Donghyuck’s face. “It’s your wedding today. You’re supposed to be happy.”

“You idiot. Renjun told me that already,” he whispers hoping that no one notices he’s terribly frightened by the whole ordeal; They didn’t need to know that the future crown prince consort is utterly terrified by what was is to come.

“How are you here? You were supposed to be in the Kingdom of the Sea training, and I do not think you received my letter.”

Jisung’s mouth forms a small ‘o’. “Um…our brother may have or may have not informed me about your wedding and sent for me as soon as he could.”

Jaehyun did? But —

Jisung interrupts his older brother’s train of thought. “You know Jaehyun cares more about you than he lets on. Unfortunately he couldn’t be here because he is distracting father.”

The omega frowns. “Jaehyun? Distracting father? Why?”

Jisung softly gleams as he gently holds his older brother’s hands. The smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes but there is a tiny twinkle of sincerity and solemnness.

“He didn’t want his little brother to be unhappy the day of his wedding. Don’t tell Jaehyun I told you that.”

The child lightens the somber tone of their conversation with a snicker at the thought of their older brother being overprotective. “He really was disappointed he couldn’t make it to your wedding. He really wanted to be here and be the one to give you away.”

Another tear spills out, but it’s a happy one; Donghyuck finally finds it within himself to smile back.

“When you see Jaehyun next time if there is one, tell him thank you for me.”

“Don’t worry he already knows.” Jisung offers his brother another smile.

“The ceremony will commence soon.” He notes as he analyzes the room. “Once the music starts playing, I will walk you down the aisle and you will exchange flowers with crown prince Mark to solidify your bond. Or at least that was the gist I got from the prince’s friend — oh the music has already started. Are you ready?”

Donghyuck shyly nods his head and Jisung leads him down the aisle of flowers.

At the end of the aisle is who Donghyuck assumes to be the crown prince. He can only see the prince’s feet because of the bell-shaped frame he stands under. The yellow rain cascades down and its flowers are just shy of touching the scattered petals that chose to rest on the floor.

With a final hand squeeze, Jisung lets his older brother go and moves near the king and queen, whose faces are filled with what appears to be utmost happiness.

Jisung’s eyes are also glittering in jubilation and his mouth softly forms into the most tender smile in the room. His cheeks are pink in excitement.

Too shy to look at his future husband in the eyes, Donghyuck looks down during the entire wedding ceremony.

The minister recites honey laced words full of promises of love and protection. Crown prince Mark also gives a long vow, but his words get lost in the turbulent ocean that is Donghyuck’s mind at that moment.

The omega only ever gazes up for a brief second to exchange his white sunflower with the prince’s yellow-orange one.

At the end of the ceremony, crown prince Mark places a small kiss on the omega child’s tuft of caramel-colored hair, almost causing Donghyuck to almost jilt in surprise. He’s never been treated that gently before; With so much kindness and consideration. The prince carefully grabs his hands to signal the end of the ceremony; The prince’s hands were soft and comfortably warm, much to his surprise.

He thought that a prince of Winter should be cold. Not warmer than the Sun.

When he knows his husband was looking elsewhere, Donghyuck finally dares to lift his gaze.

Crown prince Mark is not who he was expecting to marry.

He is extremely young and pretty for a crown prince. Donghyuck is shocked to be married to someone so beautiful. Donghyuck’s cheeks became rose-colored when he notices his husband looks back at him. The omega was not ready yet to see someone so pretty so soon.

“Are you sick?” the crown prince softly asks, the first words they exchanged the entire night. “If you want, you can rest.”

Donghyuck shakes his head. “That’s not it my prince. I didn’t think that you would be so —"

“So?”

“Um…pretty.” Donghyuck becomes red-faced and hides his face in his white wedding robes. He doesn’t want to embarrass himself more in front of his husband.

“Oh.”

Too bad Donghyuck doesn’t look up again — he misses seeing an equally flustered crown prince.

“Um…I think you should spend time with your brother before he returns to the Kingdom of the Sea.” Mark states to change the course of their conversation.

“Are you sure? What will your court think about me leaving your side? I am your consort now. I should not leave your side in public events.”

The crown prince gives him a small understanding smile. “Don’t worry about it.” He presses another kiss on Donghyuck’s golden tuft of curls and lets his hand go.

“I know that you miss spending time with your brother. Be with him as long as you can. If I could, I would bring him here to be with you.”

Donghyuck smiles. “Thank you.”

✿

The now crown prince consort bids farewell to his younger brother with the hope that he will visit again. Jisung returns to the Kingdom of the Sea to train with the third prince Na Jaemin. There his brother will be safe. Much safer than in the Sun Palace.

With a heavy heart, Donghyuck hugs Jisung one last time and walks back into the palace, his eyes never leaving Jisung’s carriage. Inside was crown prince Mark waiting for him.

He gently takes Donghyuck’s hands as if the omega was a glass ornament and takes him to their royal chambers. Beautiful and fragile – ready to break if he was touched too much.

The royal chambers are smaller than the room he stayed in the night before. Not by much, but apparent enough for Donghyuck to notice that he’s been treated with much reverence. It had a similar layout to the other room, but instead of yellow, the walls were a warm orange tone. The furniture was also a warm shade of brown and the bed shared a similar feel of familiarity. The room looks and feels like home.

The two change and faces the other side of the room, still too shy to see each other naked.

Crown prince Mark doesn’t smell like King Lee or crown prince Jaehyun.

His scent isn’t an overtly masculine one of pine trees that overpowers Donghyuck’s inexperienced omega nose. The scent isn’t like advisor Sicheng’s either, which reminds Donghyuck of a gentle spring day full of green trees and soft breezes.

No it was sweet one, not as sweet as Renjun’s or his omega papa’s, but still very sweet and refreshing. The smell makes Donghyuck nostalgic of the strawberries he ate each summer his sister Yerim begged the servants to buy for her.

The strawberry scent and gentle demeanor…

“You’re an omega! But you’re the crown-you’re the crown —”

“I’m the crown prince?” Mark replies, unsure of what Donghyuck is referring to and returns to Donghyuck’s side.

“But-aren’t like all crowned princes alphas? You have to be joking with me. You have to be joking with me right?”

The former prince of the Sun Kingdom is confused. His father married him off to an alpha prince not another male omega prince like him.

There was no way his father would have consented to such a marriage considering his now husband was an omega, no matter how rich and influential the second Lee Clan was. His father would have killed crown prince Mark during the wedding ceremony if he came and witnessed everything.

Or worse, forcefully mated Mark in front of everyone to humiliate Donghyuck even more than he already has.

Suddenly Jisung’s attitude during the wedding made more sense now; Jaehyun knew Mark was an omega and their father was ignorant of the fact — and he will probably never find out. King Lee was not known for visiting his married children and even if Donghyuck’s marriage was the most influential of them all, he would still not come unless he could find greater benefit in his son’s divorce.

“No?” The crown prince responds.

Confusion flickers in Mark’s eyes. He begins playing with the younger’s golden curls in attempt to soothe the younger. Like a child who braids their hair when they’re too nervous to reveal they broke their parent’s vase.

“I’m an omega crown prince. I’m not sure why you’re so surprised. I thought that your father informed you of this before the proposal was accepted.”

The crown prince consort keeps staring anywhere else, but it doesn’t mean that the crown prince couldn’t figure out what’s left unspoken.

Donghyuck says, “No. I didn’t. No.”

Mark takes a deep breathe again, scratching the back of his head this time instead of playing Donghyuck’s soft brown ringlets.

“You know that there’s plenty of omega princes out there right? If you’ve forgotten, you’re one.”

“But not one of them are crown princes! Crown princes are alphas or betas if there is no other male heir to take the throne!” He yells out as if it was the only truth.

“If you haven’t noticed, this is the country touched by Winter. We do not follow the same secondary gender norms your kingdom has followed for centuries. We are bound by the concept of a chosen mate and choosing from the best, not the traditional dynamic of an alpha and omega relationship and qualities. The queen is an alpha and the king an omega. And like my father once was, I am an omega prince. And now you are my mate…well if you consent to it.”

Donghyuck begins to fluster at the end of Mark’s surprisingly romantic and considerate response. His omega swoons at the thought of being properly courted and taken care of by someone else. It was one of the things he likes about being an omega. The want of being unconditionally loved.

“But like how will we?...you know…”

“We what?”

“Well you know…”

“We?”

“Have kids you idiotic prince,” Donghyuck answers with a tomato red face.

I can’t believe I just said that, the now young crown prince consort internally panics to himself.

He just acknowledged the act they would have to commit that night. He covers his face with his hands. But it doesn’t really work because his hands are also red from embarrassment.

“Sex?” Mark replies as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

“You know male omegas can mate with other male omegas successfully, right? Well if the right conditions are met.”

He blushes as well, almost as tomato red as his husband at the thought of having their children roaming the palace. “And male omegas can also impregnate female omegas, and female alphaslike my parents.”

The crowned prince doesn’t get closer to Donghyuck, aware that the younger of the two couldn’t keep still. Donghyuck keeps fumbling around him, very much nervous after realizing that he could still get pregnant by another male omega. He thinks it’s extremely adorable that Donghyuck is fidgeting so much, but Mark keeps the thought to himself.

“We should sleep now. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.” Mark says as he keeps to his side of their bed.

“You don’t love me right now and you won’t love me tomorrow either. I can’t bring myself to do that to you. Not now and not tomorrow. Now let’s get some sleep!”

Mark pulls Donghyuck next to him on the bed, still keeping the distance between them. There was only a couple inches separating the two omegas, but Donghyuck felt as if it were an entire ocean between them. One that he was incapable of swimming right now and tomorrow as well. He knows that he will have to cross it one day, but Mark respected his fear of sexual intimacy.

Right now they were two strangers. Two strangers now tied through marriage. A stranger Donghyuck is now bound to for the rest of his life. Or until Mark chooses a much more appropriate mate than him.

The prince consort can’t help but to study the omega crown prince, who already entered his dreams.

To be honest, Mark doesn’t look much older than him. He’s youthful and sweet, baby fat still very much present in his cheeks. But unlike Donghyuck’s golden brown hair, Mark’s is a dark contrast; A shade of brown, not quite black but just a shade lighter just like his mother. His eyelashes are long and lush, and his lips are full and pink.

Had Donghyuck not known, he’s never imagine that the sleeping omega was the future king of the Lee Clan of the Winter. Mark doesn’t have the same imposing presence Jaehyun did. Nor did he have the same mischievous demeanor Jisung possessed.

His presence was much softer. So much softer. Almost like the ever-moving clouds in the clear blue spring sky. Fluffy and cute. To be honest, the anxious omega finds the entire situation weird.

Mark kind of reminds him of his omega sire, his papa. His eyes are full of so much tenderness. So much warm tenderness that Donghyuck and his omega feel that they are underserving to be the subject of its affection.

Things would be so much easier if Donghyuck loved him today. Or tomorrow. But like Mark says, Donghyuck doesn’t have that capacity to love just yet.

But he does contemplate planting a small seed of hope. It doesn’t hurt to believe that something beautiful and deep green will sprout right?

✿

The next morning Donghyuck wakes up to an empty bed.

True to his word, crown prince Mark did not touch him their first night together. There was no sign that crown prince Mark did anything to him. The only thing he did was order breakfast for the young omega. Next to their shared bed is a glass of milk and what appears to be bread and soup. The bread lays in a small wicker basket and it’s rather foreign looking.

Back home, most ate only vegetables and oats because the summer heat made it too unbearable to use the stove. The bread is round with a white paste on it. He tries guessing what it is, but all he can tell by eating the round pastry is that it’s very sweet and very delicious.

“Good morning prince Donghyuck,” the guard named Yukhei says as the omega exits his royal chambers. “If you are looking for your husband, he is at the library right now studying for his exams.”

In response, the omega yawns. He’s still quite sleepy and rubs his eyes in the vain attempt to greet the morning.

“Studying?”

“Yes. Studying. Preparing for the marriage ceremony caused crown prince Mark to fall behind on his studies. A crown prince must always know how to manage his kingdom. You didn’t hear that from me though,” Yukhei whispers as if someone can hear them.

“He’s always so stressed about being the crown prince and about being fit to rule. But if I were to be honest, there is no one else I could see more fit to rule. Before I embarrass crown prince Mark even more, I suggest you joining him in the library. It will make him very happy to see you there.”

Donghyuck blushes again remembering his husband’s words from last night.

He’s never been properly courted before except for a boy from the Land of Flowers.

But that proposal doesn’t count because they were both only ten and Donghyuck doesn’t have many memories it occurring other than the occasional tease from one of the servants.

Jaehyun claimed it was indecent for the two to be so close and separated them before Donghyuck could receive his first kiss that spring day. Donghyuck never quite understood his brother because both he and the boy from the Land of Flowers were still children and had not yet presented. It was a childish story of first love. It was pure like a beansprout, not yet adulterated and mature.

He marches down the hall to find his husband.

“Um…the library is to your left.”

Donghyuck blushes even more and his confidence slightly shatters but not enough to make him stand in his place. Still embarrassed and his bronze cheeks enthused, the omega consort walks to the left of the hall hoping that he doesn’t get lost again.

The crown prince consort is now met with large wooden door he assumes is the entrance to the royal library. It was a rather handsome cherry wood door with small golden handles one could easily grasp. The omega takes a deep breathe before touching the handle.

Take one breathe. Two breathes. Three breathes. One step. Two steps. Three steps. Until you find the brave garden that you’ve been growing all these years. There’s strength you have that only you can see. It doesn’t matter if others can’t see it yet. She’ll always be waiting there, ready to give you courage.

Fastening on the growing bit of courage in his heart setting ablaze, Donghyuck opens the door.

In front of him were hundreds of shelves full of books. So many books he has never seen before. Each shelf was lined with books of different sizes and colors, the most prominent colors being red, blue, and green. He can see the gold lettering decorating the books, in languages he couldn’t even imagine of deciphering. The library is beautiful, and he is free to enter; Donghyuck feels his heart rejoice at the fact. His father had never let him read in the palace after he presented, claiming that it was improper for an omega to form ideas that his alpha did not believe in.

For this reason, Donghyuck asked Renjun to sneak books into his room or have one of the few literate omega servants in the palace read to him. His favorite storyteller was his older brother Jaehyun, who read him fantastical tales of faeries and dragons — creatures that once inhabited the Sun Kingdom centuries ago and abandoned it in favor of distant lands he could not imagine.

Before being given his title, Jaehyun always read to Donghyuck and Jisung, who refused to fall asleep and caused their omega sire headaches at night.

But those beautiful starry nights were long gone and etched in Donghyuck’s childhood nostalgia.

In the middle of the library is Mark dressed in a set of golden and maroon robes next to a large pile of books. His hair was a small uncombed mess, but somehow it had fallen in a lovely manner over his eyes. In his hands, is a notebook he was fervently writing on with a fountain pen.

Like Yukhei mentioned earlier, Mark took his studies very seriously.

“Donghyuck?” Mark notices his husband and stands up, dropping the notebook and fountain pen. Unknowingly, he causes papers to fly around the room, but if he’s embarrassed, Mark doesn’t show it.

“What are you doing here. You should rest.” The prince tries to make his consort leave but regret flickers once he sees a disheartened Donghyuck; Donghyuck’s sweet scent sours and the omega’s usually clear eyes fade to a murky brown. He looks down, twisting his feet to keep himself up.

“I just wanted to…um…”

Get to know you better. Because we will now be together until the day I die or you decide to find an alpha lover better than me, Donghyuck says to himself.

“Um…”

“I wanted to um… read.”

“Read?”

“Learn how to read.” Donghyuck lies for some reason.

He didn’t know why he lied. Sure isn’t as educated as Jaehyun or as well-versed in poetry or the literary canon the Sun Kingdom was proud of developing the years like advisor Sicheng, but he knows how to read.

“I um…never learned how to read.”

“Did you come to the library so I could teach you?” Mark asks, uncertainty now present in his voice.

Donghyuck violently nods reaching for a nearby book.

“That one might be too hard. Even for me,” Mark brightly responds as he takes the book out of Donghyuck’s hand and places it back on the shelf.

“We’ll get to it later. First we should teach you grammar and um well teach you the number system too. And your multiplication tables as well and perhaps how to use an abacus. That’s important and philosophy too oh and the fine arts. Are you sure you want me to teach you instead of the royal tutor? I am sure Kun could do a much better job than me.”

Donghyuck shakes his head at the thought of the royal tutor teaching him instead.

The crown prince doesn’t make fun of Donghyuck’s supposed illiteracy.

Rather yet, he’s very supportive of the young omega’s attempt to become literate. They begin by learning the alphabet and start with simple terms and concepts, such as color and its relation to physical objects.

The crown prince picks out a single red apple from his robe and asks Donghyuck to hold it, asking him how it feels in his hand and describe it in words. After doing so, Donghyuck matches his description on the words Mark wrote on a scrap piece of paper.

But throughout the entire lesson, the omega crown prince never gives Donghyuck a direct glance.

Is he that embarrassed of the omega consort he had taken? Is he too ugly to be a good mate? Does he regret not having an alpha husband instead?

Self-hatred begins clouding the young omega’s mind. Donghyuck has always been aware he was the least attractive of his siblings.

He’s a far cry from his father’s appearance — short and unkept. He does not smell like roses or acidic tangerines. He’s a wild child whose honey suckle scent reflects his poor backing.

Is it be better to know now or live in ignorance? He asks himself.

After deliberating for what seemed to be hours in his mind, Donghyuck finally musters the courage to ask: “Why are you looking elsewhere? You are not here with me.”

“Um…” 

“Um…”

“I can’t help but to think about how pretty you are.” The omega crown prince finally responds, averting his gaze once again in shyness.

His strawberry scent instantly flares up and intoxicates the room with its sweetness; Mark was being honest. He really thought Donghyuck was pretty.

Donghyuck’s cheeks instantly turn as red as the apple his husband gave him.

Still very much flustered by his husband’s compliment and still very much trying to hide his embarrassment, Donghyuck takes a bite out of the red apple, unaware that he’s already giving a piece of his precious tender heart away to the crown prince to treasure and hold in the palm of his hands.

✿

They continue their library dates on days Mark wasn’t preoccupied with his royal duties — which to be honest, his parents gave him very little. They insist that Mark enjoy his youth and early years of marriage by taking his omega consort on dates.

The first one was a “date” to the town bookstore. Donghyuck always wanted to go to a bookstore, but he was never allowed to leave the palace. Not even for his siblings’ weddings.

Upon hearing this, Queen Joohyun immediately insists they go to the town and gives Donghyuck a huge bag of gold coins to purchase all the books he wanted. The omega tries giving the coins back, but the Winter Queen refuses and pushes the coins back into the omega’s hands.

She says it’s her duty as a good mother-in-law to spoil Donghyuck rotten and he cannot refuse her.

(“Mother, you do not have to —”

“I insist.” Queen Joohyun doesn’t take no as an answer.

“You need to enjoy your youth as much as you can before you become king of this kingdom. Believe me. You will regret not enjoying your youth as much as you can. Now do take Donghyuckie on a date. He needs to get out of this palace and see the wonders of the world.”)

“Are you sure it’s okay?” Donghyuck purses his lips as Mark wrapped a red scarf around the younger omega.

It’s winter now.

Snowflakes are falling and the once orange leaves have already danced away, turning brown and withering away upon coming contact with stomping steps.

Like the autumn foliage, the crown prince consort withers away under the snow, still unaccustomed to the change of weather. Donghyuck falls sick the first snowfall and Mark stayed by his side.

By now, Renjun is almost left unemployed because of the crown prince and the servant is redirected to explore dancing (which Queen Joohyun heavily endorsed and funded stating that Renjun had a natural talent that should be allowed to flourish).

“You are the crown prince, wouldn’t it be scandalous for you to leave the palace to just buy a book?”

Mark smiles as he finishes wrapping the red scarf around his husband’s neck. He gives the red clothe a final pat deciding it’s taken an appropriate form. “Nope. Do not worry. I have done this many times before. Plus, Yukhei will accompany us if you do not feel safe.”

They stroll into the town, which is not very far from the palace. About a fifteen-minute walk. Mark holds Donghyuck’s hand all the way there, worried that the omega will slip on the ice. Gloved fingers become intertwined.

Yukhei teases the crown prince for doing so, but the crown prince doesn’t retort. He keeps insisting it’s for Donghyuck’s safety. The omega consort does not mind; He does feel safer, but no one needs to know what’s locked in his heart.

Those feelings are for him to keep and to keep cultivating. His secret garden will bloom when it's ready.

The three manage to arrive at one of the smaller bookstores. Small enough for no one to recognize the crown prince and cause great commotion.

According to Yukhei, crown prince Mark is extremely popular and all the available suitors in the kingdom and nearby lands had their hearts broken when he married the ninth prince of the Sun Kingdom. Without a doubt they would be curious who the crown prince chose as a mate.

The bookstore is a small little place near the town outskirts. Like the rest of the kingdom, it shares the same cute façade that Donghyuck became accustomed to. The only difference is that the building has a faint pinkish hue instead of beige. On the door is a small wooden sign with black cursive letters reading: open. Yukhei opens the door and the omega hears a small clear bell ring.

“Ah hello crown prince,” A lovely petite omega girl joyfully greets them.

Long straight black hair and porcelain skin characteristic of the Winter people, she wears a bright yellow dress with a ruffled collar tied together with a purple ribbon and matching rose. The omega bookkeeper looks like a book faerie from the tales Donghyuck’s read as a child. Small and undeniably exquisite, the bookkeeper is beautiful like the snowdrops he’s seen blossom around the palace.

“It’s been so — is this the famous Donghyuck?” She immediately circles around Donghyuck, who’s now hidden behind Mark like a scared sheep being herded by a dog.

“Crown prince Mark! How could you hide this from me? You didn’t tell me Donghyuck was this pretty. I can see why he was chosen to be the crown prince consort. He looks like the Sun goddess has blessed him with great beauty. He’s so cute.”

She leans forward to pinch Donghyuck’s now rosy cherub cheeks, but the crown prince stops her.

“Please don’t scare him Hyunjin.” Mark asks of her, keeping Donghyuck far away from the omega girl. “He’s shy.”

Hyunjin forms a small ‘o’ in understanding. “Don’t worry. I won’t say anything else that isn’t related to books. What are you looking for? I just got this new shipment of fantasy novels from the Land of Flowers that might I dare say, they’re some of the best pieces of literature I’ve gotten my hands on in months since the travel ban the Land of Waves tried to implement earlier this year. The Land of Flowers truly has some of the best pieces of modern literature I’ve ever read.”  
  
While Mark and Hyunjin went off to discuss the new shipment of books, Donghyuck’s eyes stray elsewhere.

There were so many books to choose from in Hyunjin’s bookshop. New publications from different lands and different languages. So many titles and genres at his touch. But it’s a maroon book with white cursive letters on its spine that catches his interest; A book he’s seen his Jaehyun diligently read and annotate for his higher education studies to become crown prince.

“You can read,” Yukhei notes as the crown prince consort almost drops the crimson book. “I always suspected you could, but Mark kept insisting that you were illiterate and spent his spare time teaching someone who lies to him every day. Why? Why did you lie to your husband?”

“How did you know?” Fear causes Donghyuck’s scent to become slightly pungent. Not too much because it can reveal his anguish, but enough for Yukhei to tell something is wrong.

“How did you know?” He repeats.

“It was pretty obvious. The library has a sign that has ‘royal library’ written on it and well you didn’t enter the crown prince’s studio, which has the same façade, and get even more lost. My question is why — oh my god. You’re blushing.” Yukhei points out.

The crown prince consort pouts. He can’t believe he was found out so easily.

“Wait, was it to spend more time with the crown prince and not feel embarrassed?” Donghyuck slowly nods. “Oh my god. I did not expect this. I thought you were some spy or something. Guess you have a mini crush —” Donghyuck throws the book at Yukhei’s face with such a violent force, it almost sends the alpha backwards.

“Okay. Okay. I won’t say anything. You know if you just asked, he’d take you on more dates right? Ones outside the library and ones where you don’t have to pretend you can’t read. You don’t need to pretend around the crown prince. He’s very much in lo —”

Donghyuck growls, his inner wolf coming out for the first time. His inner omega cannot bear being caught developing affection for another.

“Don’t growl at – oh Mark! We didn’t see you there. Donghyuck was just asking me what book I’d recommend him.” He quickly grabs the book Donghyuck threw at him. “See?”

Mark raises an eyebrow. “You’re recommending him Plato’s _Republic_?”

“Oops wrong book! I meant —"

“Don’t worry Donghyuck. We will find a more suitable book.” Mark leads him to the other side of the bookstore. All the omega consort could do was mouth a quick “sorry” to the guard. Hyunjin barks at Yukhei and throws another book at him to snap him out of his embarrassment.

After the “date” ended, Donghyuck ends up with a bag full of books Mark recommended and thought were appropriate for his “supposed” reading level. They range from children’s fantasy books to coming of age short stories.

Hyunjin personally gifts Donghyuck a couple extra novels as a belated wedding gift. The omega bookkeeper also makese joke that she never thought Mark would be the first to marry and is about to say something about the latter being really picky before he covers her mouth.

Mark hurriedly whispers something in her ear and Hyunjin seems to accept his request with a frown.

She does manage to give Donghyuck a big bear hug before they depart back to the palace and tells him to visit whenever he pleases. Donghyuck ends up visiting Hyunjin a couple days later with Renjun deciding to accompany him.

At the very bottom of Donghyuck’s book bag, was Plato’s _Republic_.

✿

The third date proves to be a romantic one (this one was unrelated to books upon Yukhei’s recommendation; Turns out the alpha was an absolute romantic at heart). The omega pair go to visit the Winter Kingdom’s Forest of Lights, where it was rumored to be inhabited by small yellow faeries.

Once again, the crown prince makes sure that his husband was wearing his red scarf and winter jacket to keep him safe from winter’s frost.

Unfortunately Donghyuck still heavily trembles when he ventures outside — despite living in the Winter Kingdom for a couple months now.

According to the Winter King, it will take at least two years for him to become accustomed to the weather. That was how long it took for the king to stop dying from the cold; Like Donghyuck, he was a foreigner.

“I can do this by myself,” an embarrassed Donghyuck mutters as his husband makes sure the younger had all the needed attire in check.

“I do not want you to get cold,” Mark simply replies. “We should get going. It is best to see the forest right after sunset.”

“Okay.”

Mark’s right. The Forest of Lights was gorgeous. Little fireflies begin springing out of the grass, lighting the once blue sky with yellow flecks. Like the stars in the night sky, the fireflies decorate the evening sky with warm soft light.

“My prince, what are you doing?” Donghyuck asks. His husband was capturing the fireflies with a small glass flask he packed in his satchel the day prior.

“Catching fireflies. Join me it’s really fun. Here, use this jar and try to get them in here.” Mark hands his husband the glass jar he was holding. “Trust me Donghyuck.”

Donghyuck takes the jar from Mark and begins catching fireflies in the jar. He admits he isn’t very good. It takes him what seems like forever to catch a decent amount of fireflies and when he tries to get more, Donghyuck falls on his back.

The older omega can’t help but to laugh at the adorable and clumsy scene.

Donghyuck frowns as he tries to get up, but he falls again.

Little pine needles cover his coat, slightly prickling him. They’re not the soft kisses of orange poppies. They’re rough and needy. “Don’t laugh at me.” There’s no malice in his voice. Just bashfulness.

“I am not laughing at you, but with you,” Mark says as he causes himself to fall next to his husband. “See? We both fell. You have nothing to be embarrassed about if you are here with me. Grab the jar and take off the lid.”

“Take off the lid? But the fireflies will escape.”  
  
“Take off the lid. Please trust me once again.”

The omega takes a plunge of faith and releases the fireflies from their glass cage. The fireflies disperse, making new constellations of lights.

Unlike the stars which were so far away, he can see the fireflies make new shapes and designs right in front of him. They look like fireworks. Gentle fireworks that do not cause him to cover his eardrums to protect them from the pyrotechnics’ harsh and artificial sound.

“They’re so pretty,” Donghyuck eyes the fireflies with a wonder he never believed was possible; The fireflies were absolutely beautiful against the night sky. In his hazel eyes flicker the yellow lights. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

He reaches out to grab Mark’s hand as they see the fireflies wander and paint the now black sky with yellow light. Hopefully his husband doesn’t notice that his honey suckle scent was now slightly sweeter in jubilee.

✿

Donghyuck sometimes catches himself daydreaming of future dates. He’s grown fond of them. He’s never seen so much of the world before, always relegated into staying in the Sun Palace during his youth. Only when he was gardening, Donghyuck was able to leave the palace doors.

In every letter he sends Jisung, he details all the things he’s seen with the crown prince for the first time. From the bookstore to the yellow faeries to the fireworks they saw light up the sky last time.

_Dear brother,_

_I see that you are extremely happy, and I must admit that I am a little jealous. You never seemed this happy with me when you were still at my side, but I am extremely happy for you; This is something I could have never done for you as I am only the last prince. You are now able to see how beautiful the world is because of your husband. For that, I am extremely indebted to him and I will always be._

_I wish you could be here for my birthday, but I know that it is not possible yet. Father has requested for me to come home as it will be only a couple more years until I present, and our older brother is doing everything that he can to keep me here in the Kingdom of the Sea. So, if he hears that you have come to visit me, he might be tempted to retrieve me. I do not wish to return “home.”_

_By the way, I am having so much fun here. The third prince took me whale watching the other day. It was the biggest creature I have ever seen. I do not have the words to describe how magnificent it was, so please bear with this ugly drawing of it at the bottom of my letter. I tried making it accurate, but the third prince says it looks more like a dolphin than a whale. And sadly I do not know what a dolphin is._

_I almost forgot, please invite our older brother to come visit. He’s really lonely in the Sun Palace. You didn’t hear it from me. Until we meet again._

_Love,_

_Jisung_

Donghyuck smiles as he closes the letter and holds it to his chest.

As he writes to Jisung, he continues daydreaming of his husband, who’s charmed him these past few months. He’s sure it was his inner omega relishing in the fact that he was being loved and receiving so many grand and romantic gestures —

“Donghyuck?” The crown prince consort jumps. He quickly turns around and sighs in relief. It was his husband. “Did I scare you?”

“A little,” he admits. “Don’t worry too much about it. I should have been more observant of my surroundings.” 

Mark frowns but he doesn’t say anything. “Um…my mother would like us to join her and my father for dinner. If you are uncomfortable, please let me know and I can turn down their request.”  
  
“I would be honored to come.” Donghyuck beams and his husband returns the smile.

“What do you think they are serving?”

“Hmm…I think only what you wish.”

And Donghyuck’s omega swoons once more.

He feels hope grow more and more each passing day.

✿

“Prince Donghyuck?” Yukhei nervously begins. The usually laidback alpha is rather jittery and nervous. Almost like a June bug who’s forgot its dance.

“Yes?”  
  
“Um…your scent is um…becoming much stronger now. You normally smell like strawberries because of how much time you spend with your husband, but your original honey um…scent is permeating the hall. I think that you are approaching your heat.”

Donghyuck’s cheeks flush at the thought that his husband’s royal guard told him his heat was coming.

He’s never kept track of his heat, never seeing the need to. He was always relegated to his room after his presentation and the heat only came when he presented at the age of fourteen.

He thanks Yukhei for informing him and retreats to the library, where he could feel that his husband’s scent was the strongest. He huddles in a corner, feeling so small and vulnerable.

He isn’t certain when his heat exactly will hit, but he knew it was coming and hopes Mark comes soon. He wants someone to be in his corner.

Sweat forms on his forehead and his body becomes hotter, a heat that is unbearable and makes him hate his skin.

“Mark please-please help me,” he cries out for his husband, who just arrived, hating how desperate and breathy his voice comes out.

He feels his heart exploding at the thought being so vulnerable and needing an intimacy he fears. Slick fall on his thighs and signals that the inevitable is to come.

“Please help me. I’m scared. I’m so scared.” Donghyuck whimpers as he clutched his husband’s robes, sobs coming out. His omega needed to be comforted and Donghyuck didn’t know how else to calm him. “Please help me.”

Mark kisses the top of Donghyuck’s head and nuzzles him, in an attempt to calm the crying omega with his strawberry scent. The sweet summery scent soothes the omega; Donghyuck stops crying for a bit and he was now hicupping, pleas becoming slurred. Once Donghyuck calmed down for a bit, Mark carried him to their shared chambers.

Instead of taking him to their bed, Mark gently leads Donghyuck to the bathroom and commands the servants to prepare the bathtub. Mark dismisses the servants once they complete their task.

With utmost respect, he undresses his husband and bathes him to calm down his heat. The care isn’t sexual in nature. The care isn’t sensual. The care is compassionate. Donghyuck’s heard stories about how omegas were abused during their heats. How they had been forcibly mated and bound to an alpha they did not love.

But Mark isn’t like the alphas Donghyuck is scared of. He’s gentle and respectful of Donghyuck’s fear of mating. He lifts Donghyuck out of the bathtub and dries his hair. Mark dresses the younger in cotton pajamas and lets him rest on their shared bed — he even places a wet towel underneath Donghyuck’s brown curls, which stick to his feverish forehead.

Mark tends to him and makes sure the younger doesn’t miss a meal. Nothing else happened that night or the rest of Donghyuck’s heat. The crown prince makes sure no one else stepped in to make him feel uncomfortable in such a private space.

The most Mark does is nuzzle Donghyuck and provides his strawberry scent because the younger’s inner omega needs to be comforted. He only cuddles Donghyuck when the younger is awake and leaves him when he falls asleep. The omega crown prince sleeps on the chair next to Donghyuck and grasps his hand to make sure the omega is not disoriented by the loss of comfort.

After his heat subsides, Mark finally shares the same bed as Donghyuck and reads him a story he knew the younger loves. Before Mark finishes the story, Donghyuck finally achieves a blissful and calm sleep.

He dreams of the omega crown prince at his side. The little seedling he planted earlier finally sprouts.

✿

Donghyuck turns fifteen when he realizes that he’s fallen with the now eighteen-year-old Mark.

He doesn’t know he’s in love right away, but he notices how he felt his chest explodes at the thought of seeing his husband.

He felt that his cheeks couldn’t become redder when he’s proximity of his husband or when their hands accidently brush in the library. His stomach automatically churns with love.

He craves the elder’s touch and all he wants was to hold his hands forever. There’s something so reassuring about being with the omega prince. Something he’s never experienced before while growing up in the Sun Palace.

His papa used to tell him stories about finding your chosen mate, the one who makes you feel special and loved. Obviously Donghyuck knew his papa wasn’t referring to King Lee as he never went to visit them, nor did he care for his papa when he was pregnant with Jisung. It was someone else his papa loved and someone else Donghyuck wishes was his father.

The crown prince consort spends his whole time trying to monopolize Mark’s attention. It didn’t matter who it was, but the omega prince consort is always stricken with jealousy.

Even Yukhei isn’t spared from Donghyuck’s green envy; Sometimes Donghyuck growls at the alpha guard when he’s too close to Mark. But only sometimes and when Mark isn’t looking.

Donghyuck even wake ups before Mark and grabs the breakfast the servants prepare from them before they could even step in their chambers. He lays the meal out without waking up his husband and always wanted to have breakfast with him.

During the day, Donghyuck follows Mark into the library and joins him in his studies and even follows him to his newfound daily practice sparring with the prince of the Kingdom of the Sea Na Jaemin, who came to visit for the month. Jisung stayed behind because he just presented as an omega, years earlier than Donghyuck had expected.

Jisung is only eleven-years old. Which means that King Lee will want to marry him off as soon as he can. Mark reassures Donghyuck that they could take Jisung in, but both know he does not have enough power yet to bring the child to the Winter Kingdom — not without it bringing some kind of benefit to King Lee.

As he watches Mark spar with Jaemin with an affectionate gaze, Donghyuck ponders what he can do to keep his brother in the Kingdom of the Sea. The beta prince notices for after he ends the duel, he pulls Donghyuck to the side to ask:

“Do you think Jisung is happy in the Kingdom of the Sea?”

He contemplates.

In his letters, Jisung stated he was much happier in the Kingdom of the Sea and had many friends there. Much more than back in the Sun Palace.

The hesitation doesn’t go unnoticed by the beta prince, who looks rather nervous for being someone of such a high ranking.

While Na Jaemin isn’t the first prince of his kingdom, he still has a respectable rank of third prince and a promising military career. The sixteen-year-old looked expectantly at the crown prince consort for his response.

“I do not have enough power to bring him to my side, but rest assure, he is happy in your kingdom. Very happy. He sees you as a dear friend.”

The beta prince beams and around two weeks after his stay in the palace, announced that he’s engaged to the small child of the Sun Kingdom, much to Jaehyun and Donghyuck’s charging.

The crown prince of the Sun coincidently pays Donghyuck a short visit when a messenger from the Kingdom of the Sea announces the engagement.

Both spit out their drinks and Jaehyun almost shakes the messenger, furiously asking for an explanation.

“He said it was the only way to keep the small prince at his side,” the messenger replies, trying to pry the Sun crown prince off. “There is no other way for an under-age omega to stay so far from his family unless they are engaged or married.”

“But my baby is only 11,” Jaehyun growls. “He’s never had a first love. Nor has he had the opportunity to finish his primary education. How can he be engaged the moment after he presented?”

The Sun crown prince was close to murdering the messenger had it not been for Donghyuck and Mark’s intervention. Unfortunately the alpha cannot be appeased by the whimpering sounds of his younger brother.

Donghyuck tries again to pull his older brother off the messenger. “Jaehyun, please listen to me. I believe prince Jaemin of the Kingdom of the Sea had asked me for Jisung’s hand in marriage.”  
  
“What! Did you —?”

“No. I did not think much of it at the time. He asked if Jisung is be happier in the Kingdom of the Sea than in the Sun Palace. I said ‘yes’, thinking that he was consoling my fears of what our father would have done.

"I didn’t think it was a proposal to marry our younger brother.” Donghyuck stares down, shame filling his bronzed face.

He accidentally married off his brother to a prince he has not known for very long. Even his husband said that despite Jaemin being a very kind prince, his intentions weren’t always clear; Jaemin was very hard to read. What benefit can Jaemin gain from marrying the last born of a kingdom other than exploitation?

Jaehyun sighs and rests his hands on his younger brother’s shoulders. “Do not worry. I will solve this. I will travel to the Kingdom of the Sea and bring Jisung back to you. This I promise you.”

Later that night, Mark consoles Donghyuck for what was just announced.

Like Jaehyun he quietly promises with such a conviction, Donghyuck believes that Mark can provide solutions to all of the world’s problems:

“I promise you once I become king, no once I have enough power and if Jaemin dares hurt your younger brother, I will bring him back to you.”

He kisses the top of Donghyuck’s forehead and motions him to come close for an embrace; The smell of summer strawberries envelopes him.

Mark reminds him he is not alone that that everything will be okay. If things are not okay and if he is ever alone, Mark will run there and be in Donghyuck’s corner. 

The next week, prince Jaemin sends another letter detailing that the marriage is only in name to protect the omega child and once he sees it safe, he will return Jisung to Donghyuck. He breaks down in his husband’s arms. Mark keeps pressing kisses on his husband’s tears, saying everything will be okay.

When Mark is sleeping on his textbooks in exhaustion, Donghyuck kisses his cheek for being on his side.

✿

The brown-haired omega confides in Renjun his newfound feelings for the crown prince one evening Mark leaves to visit the Kingdom of the Sea with Jaehyun. The two went to demand Jisung’s return to the Winter Kingdom; Jisung will no longer live in the Sun Palace and be under Donghyuck’s care.

“You are in love my prince, but I think you knew that already,” Renjun brightly beams. He moves to pour more tea for Donghyuck and motions his prince to give him the flowered pink cup.

“Why do you need to reaffirm what I and everyone else already know? Why do you think the queen and king are insistent on letting you enjoy ‘dating’ the prince despite the fact that you two are already married? They already know you love the prince and they only wish for your happiness.”

Donghyuck stares at Renjun in stupefied confusion.

Was he that obvious? Did everyone know that he had already given his heart to the crown prince? His honeysuckle scent lightens, allowing Renjun’s rosy scent to fill the room instead.

 _Should_ he confess?

But deep down in his heart, Donghyuck knows why he hasn’t professes how much he cherished his husband — he was terrified.

What if Mark has already gotten sick of him?

This past year the omega didn’t reciprocate Mark’s adoration and it had taken him so much effort to begin calling his husband by his name alone without getting nervous. Plus they were both omegas. There is only so much Donghyuck can do to satisfy his husband. Yukhei, an alpha, can do more for Mark, than Donghyuck ever can.

“You’re overthinking again my prince. I am sure the crown prince loves you back. This I promise you.”

“How do you know?” Donghyuck whispers. “How can you guarantee me this?”

“Believe in me my prince. You are more loved that you think.”

Donghyuck sighs, still not believing a word his good friend says.

“Now can you please tell me who you’ve been seeing these past weeks? I smell a familiar omega scent — Wait? Are you courting Hyunjin? You are, aren’t you? Why didn’t you tell me before? I thought we were best friends?”

“We haven’t made things official my prince,” Renjun shyly mumbles. “I do not have much to offer her. I am a male omega servant after all, and she deserves better. And I am from a foreign land too. One that is neither the Sun nor Winter Kingdom. Her rank will certainty become tainted by being with me.”

“Now, don’t be silly Renjun. There is no one who can make her happier than you. Go. Go court her officially,” Donghyuck commands as he kicks Renjun out of his chambers. “Don’t come back until you’ve made things official. I want to see your wedding.”

✿

“Mark what are you here? Shouldn’t you be traveling with Jaehyun?”

Donghyuck rushes over to his husband, who unexpectedly returned back from his travel to the Kingdom of the Sea to their shared chambers. It’s only been a couple hours since the two crown princes had embarked to demand Jisung back from Na Jaemin.

“Are you okay?” The omega notes that his husband’s sweating profusely and that his crimson robes started becoming stained with slick.

“I’m sorry. I could not join your brother to the Kingdom of the Sea.” He rests his mussed head on Donghyuck’s shoulder.

“I am sorry I have failed you as your husband. I should be there now helping your brother bring Jisung back to you.” The last part is said with such a sadness and finality Donghyuck couldn’t have imagined his husband ever saying.

His husband who has so much hope Donghyuck can become literate. His husband who took him on so many dates their first year of marriage. To be saddened by the limitations his secondary gender placed on his body.

Funny thing was, Donghyuck doesn’t think he’s capable of falling in love with anyone else. It was the omega Mark he’s fallen for and it was the omega Mark who stood before him defeated that he will and will always want to comfort.

The kindness Mark showed him this past year was unconditional. He never asked anything of Donghyuck, even now. The Mark that stands before him is apologetic because he cannot do more for him.

  
  
“Mark,” he starts, reaching ever so deeply for his husband. He lifts his husband’s head gently and cups his face. Donghyuck allows their eyes to meet. Mark’s cheeks are rosy from his heat and Donghyuck’s cheeks are rosy because of what he is about to say. “Please let me help you. I want to help you how you’ve helped me this past year.”  
  
“Please don’t feel obligated because you’re my husband Donghyuck. It’s okay I’ll manage.” Mark says trying to rest his head on Donghyuck’s shoulder again, a futile attempt to hide his crimson face. “I could — "

“Mark I want to do this for you.” 

_Because I love you_. _You have no idea how much I love you._

The second part does go unsaid because Donghyuck doesn’t want heat sex to be the first time he divulges his undying devotion for the older.

In the morning he’ll give away all of his heart. Well he already began giving it to Mark the first night of their marriage. He just has to let the elder know it was his and his until Donghyuck’s heart stopped beating.

And even then, he believes he’d still love Mark. Donghyuck tugs Mark’s shirt to ask for his consent and the two share their first kiss.

“I love you.” Donghyuck blurts out when his mate’s eyes begin fluttering to the morning light.

After mating with his husband, the omega couldn’t go back to sleep.

He’s worried that Mark will somehow escape from him in the darkness of night before receiving the younger’s love confession.

Or mistaking the mating as Donghyuck’s duty as his consort. The omega wants to provide comfort out of love for his husband, not because he believes that mating is an obligation.

He relishes in the fact that he now had a claiming mark on his neck and that he’s officially his husband’s mate.

Mark’s doe-like eyes open wide, causing Donghyuck’s heart to break a little and he looks down fearing rejection. Perhaps it was a little too late. His husband’s waited so long to hear these words. He’s probably found someone else to love and he wouldn’t blame him.

But Donghyuck wants to let Mark know his feelings. It was selfish of him, Donghyuck admits.

He should have never let a heart yearn so much without its tenderness being reciprocated. But he needs to let the butterflies in his stomach escape and follow the flower that made them flutter so much.

“I love you now and maybe even before what occurred last night. I know you probably don’t feel the same way and if you did, probably not anymore because I am the worst —”

Before he continues, Donghyuck sees a tomato red Mark trying to cover his face. The omega crown prince’s doing the best he can to hide how elated he after receiving the love confession. And after what seems to be a silent eternity, Mark finally responds:

“I’m so happy. I thought that you’d never love me back. I would have been content just having you by my side even if you never loved me back the same way,” he quietly says and Donghyuck’s heart continues to break even more.

This whole time Mark thought that his love would have never been reciprocated.

The person who had taught Donghyuck that love was possible for two male omegas.

“I know that that were times where I rejected your kindness, but it is not because they did not make me happy. You have no idea how happy they make me. I felt like my heart would burst every time you took me on a date. It’s just that I am not used to being treated with so much love and tenderness, I do not know how to express it other than how I do now. But it does not mean I do not wish to learn how to reciprocate and give you love."

The crown prince consort reaches out to intertwine his hands with the elder. “Believe me, I am happy being with you right now and I will always want to be with you because I love you. I will always love you. Even if I have nothing else to offer, I will always love you.”

“Really?”  
  
“I love you. Will you read me another story? I love hearing you read to me.” Donghyuck confesses and he pecks the elder’s lips, causing him to blush even more and reconfirms his feelings.

“I will, but we should clean you up first,” Mark nervously responds, still trying to process that he was loved back. “I do not want you to feel uncomfortable.”

Donghyuck pouts and puts the book away. The novel is tattered because of all of the times Mark read it to Donghyuck (which was at least three times a week). He didn’t mind reading the novel so much because it made his mate happy. But now he’s hit with the realization that his mate loves him, and he didn’t know what to do but become a nervous mess.

“Um…when did you fall in love with me?” Mark asks out of curiosity as he shampoos his mate’s hair.

The omega crown prince is a little finicky but Donghyuck can’t help but to coo at the sight.

He thinks his mate is exquisite when he looks bashful.

But doesn’t Mark always look pretty? Yes, in Donghyuck’s eyes he will always look pretty.

Thinking about his mate elicits a shy smile on Donghyuck’s face that makes Mark’s heart softly melt like butter.

“I think the first night we met,” Donghyuck pauses for a bit before turning red.

“That is when I started becoming infatuated with you but when you wrapped the red scarf around my neck for our date to celebrate the Winter Solstice, I knew I had given you all of my heart. Please take care of it because for me, you will always hold my heart in the palm of your hands.”

Donghyuck cuddles with Mark as the older reads his favorite book. He is certain that the Sun goddess blessed him with happiness and that Jisung will return with Jaehyun.

✿

_“Father, I think I’m in love,” Mark confidently announces one day when he’s fourteen years old and already presented as an omega._

_He just came back from visiting the Kingdom of the Sun._

_He didn’t meet the other King Lee as his parents were worried about how the other King Lee would receive the omega crowned prince of the Sun. It was no secret King Lee only viewed omegas as sex objects meant for breeding only._

_And it would be no surprise if he attempted to hurt their son to show his dominance over the second Lee Clan. Forcefully mating their youngest child wouldn’t be below King Lee. He’s already been rumored to have taken the mate of a fallen kingdom’s general to mock him beyond the sight of a destroyed country. A dear friend of theirs._

_Rather than having Mark enter the main hall, they made their son wait outside in the garden with his guards and Yukhei._ _This would be the perfect compromise. The king would have heard the crowned prince came to visit along with his parents and but was too nervous to enter the palace._

_“Mark, how could you be in love? You only waited in the garden with Yukhei and the rest of the guards.” The kinder King Lee inquires, curiosity obvious in his eyes. His son had only been in the Sun Kingdom for a couple days._

_How could he be in love so soon?_

_He didn’t see any other children his age around. He had only seen crown prince Jaehyun, who looked like he wanted someone else. And the other children were married or too preoccupied in enjoying their wealth._

_The omega prince blushes and sits quietly for a moment before_ _finally_ _responding._

_“I think I saw the sun.” Mark gazes down at his feet to hide his pink face. It doesn’t work. His ears are pink too. “I saw a boy who reminded me of the sun. In the Sun garden.”_

_“Ahhh. I know who you are talking about,” Queen Joohyun interjects._

_“The ninth prince of the Sun, Lee Donghyuck. He’s still unpresented because of his young age but I heard from the Sun crown prince Jaehyun, his younger brother is as just beautiful as the sun is and loved by all the servants. He would make a lovely consort and son-in-law right, honey?”_

_“Lee Donghyuck,” Mark repeats, completely unaware of what his mother just said at the end. He loves how the name slips off his tongue._

_After they arrive home Mark does back to his room dreaming of the boy he saw that day._

_“Honey do you think the other King Lee will let us have Donghyuck for our son?” the Queen of the Winter Star asks her husband while they rest in their bed._

_“I’ve never seen our son show so much interest in someone before and I want my son to have a happy first love. One untainted by the other King Lee and one that is happier than that of my old friend Dongmin.”_

_“Hmm…it will depend on Donghyuck’s presentation, but I have a feeling that crown prince Jaehyun will assist us.”_

_Fourteen-year-old Mark couldn’t have imagined that the sun child he developed a crush on would like him back one day too._

_Nor does seventeen-year-old crown prince Mark._

_When he sees the nervous golden omega exchange flowers with him during their wedding, he swears he falls in love even more and much more than he thought was possible._

_He couldn’t imagine that the Sun prince would come to love him just as much within the next. year. The same prince who cried the night before their wedding that he was not good enough to be the crown prince consort and was still just as sad the next day._

_Mark accidently overheard his fiancée’s worries — he originally only wanted to ask the omega servant that had accompanied Donghyuck what was the latter’s favorite color for it to be included in the ceremony. He didn’t mean to overhear such a private and intimate conversation._

_“He will surely be disappointed. I am an ugly male omega.” He hears his future husband sob into the servant’s robes._

_It breaks Mark’s heart. In his eyes, Donghyuck is the most beautiful person he had ever seen. His honey like skin and golden hair reminded him of the sun. And his hazel brown eyes are the most beautiful thing he had ever seen; They were so full of kindness and flecks of splendid gold._

_Yet, Donghyuck feels that he is not good enough. How was that possible? From that day on, Mark promises that he will make his husband feel loved every day he can. Even if Donghyuck never loves him back._

_After Donghyuck falls asleep, Mark approaches the servant named Renjun and asks for a list of the younger’s favorite things._

_The omega servant is rather surprised by the crown prince’s actions. Had he been expecting someone else? Mark thinks._

_Renjun eventually relents and gives the crown prince a detailed list of things Donghyuck loved, which weren’t many._

_One thing Renjun did ask for was Donghyuck’s younger brother Jisung. He says it will make his prince the happiest person in the world if Jisung can attend the wedding._

_Mark knows that the child doesn’t live far — the Kingdom of the Sea is only a day away and he knows prince Na Jaemin will leave tomorrow morning for the ceremony._

_He quickly sends a telegram (which is still a developing technology) and prays to the Winter goddess that his friend receives the message in time._

_If not, he hopes that crown prince Jaehyun of the Sun Kingdom already arranged for Jisung’s arrival._

_“Honey what are you thinking of?” The two are sitting in the royal courtyard. Winter finally arrives, decorating the once flower adorned meadows with a soft layer of white snow. Mark took Donghyuck to see the snowflakes fall._

_“How much I love you.” Mark replies, causing his mate to blush just as much as he did during their first library date, and he steals a kiss from the younger._

_“Why are you looking elsewhere?” Fourteen-year-old Donghyuck asks the crown prince. On Donghyuck’s face is a look of unease._

_“Um…” Mark can’t help but to feel bashful and shy. The crown prince doesn’t know what excuse he can come up with without making his mate feel unwanted like he did the night before their wedding._

_Mark wants his mate to feel loved or dwell on rumors that are simply not true; In Mark’s eyes, Donghyuck is the most beautiful omega._

_But it is much too early to say I love you to someone who doesn’t know how much they make butterflies churn in his stomach just by being in his presence._

_Saying Donghyuck’s name makes his heart race and elicits nervous excitement that makes him burst in happiness._

_“Um…”_

_“I can’t help but to think about how pretty you are.”_

_Donghyuck’s cheeks instantly become bright little red apples._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took some liberties with the A/B/O dynamic — I always found myself interested in depicting an omega-omega relationship and after 15K I finally did it. I plan on writing a short story to explain why Jaemin did what he did, but I'm not sure when it would be posted. Please leave comments and kudos if you liked this fic or anyone else's on this site. Guest hits aren't being counted right now :((  
>    
> Talk to me. I'm bored and please leave comments and kudos |ω･)ﾉ:  
> [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/she-minion) | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Sheminion1) | [caard](https://sheminion.carrd.co/#)  
> 


	2. The Smell of Citrus Reminds Me of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Na Jaemin of the Kingdom of the Sea meets the last Sun child for the first time.

The first time Na Jaemin meets Lee Jisung of the Sun Kingdom is in the place he least expects to.

The beta prince was taking a stroll palace garden in the hopes of avoiding the minister Doyoung assigned to “babysit” him during his trip to the Sun Place. He was forced to come to the palace by one of his kingdom’s ministers to see if he could woo one of the palace’s princesses or princes, but there were no Sun heirs around his age except for a concubine’s unpresented son: an unpresented son deemed too “ugly” by the minister because of his dark skin and unruly golden hair.

In the eyes of the minister, the Sun child looked more like a peasant than a prince. The ugly Sun child could never be the mate of a prince like Jaemin of the Sea, who was considered to be as enchanting as his alpha siblings. Soft caramel colored hair and round brown eyes with hints of blue and green, Jaemin was a true heir of the Sea. Thus, he could not marry anyone lesser than.

The beta prince is old enough to do without such caretaking and prejudices. He knows that things like beauty – while a blessing that makes life easier and more bearable for betas and omegas – does not equate happiness and good character. The Sun children he’s met so far reaffirm this. Spoiled and unkind towards the palace servants, they are nothing like Mark or Hyunjin — both of whom treat everyone with kindness and no expectation for such feeling to be returned.

But this minister always had such a way with words and Jaemin can’t escape his sphere of influence — at least not yet. Everything spills out of the minister’s heart-shaped lips like honey and Doyoung soaks the words up like bee harvesting during spring.

The Sun Palace’s royal garden is filled with shades of gold, yellow and orange complementing the green and blue undertones that fell from the plants and trees’ shadows. Shadows that kept growing and growing because of how bright and beautiful they day was, as if the Sun goddess the kingdom was known for was dancing and making new friends.

Yellow and orange sunflowers reach for the sun like every Sun child did during the Ceremony of Wonders where they were blessed by their goddess. Covering and sneaking out of the white cracked pavement are small orange poppies and dandelions waiting for the wind to blow them away.

Attached to one of the trees with two cords was a small wooden plank that resembled a swing. Marking the swing were names both familiar and unfamiliar to Jaemin: Jaehyun, Jihyo, Yerim, Donghyuck and Jisung. Each one was crudely carved, but simultaneously, written with so much care that the names would still be legible for everyone to see their blood bonds for years to come.

The garden is so much more gorgeous than Jaemin expected — for a king so apathetic towards others, the garden is lovely. There is something about the garden that just made Jaemin feel so much warmth and kindness; the feeling was akin to when his alpha and omega sire were still alive and would read him stories before the night lulled him to sleep.

He would have enjoyed the lovely sight a little more had he not heard rustling in the garden, which in turn made him jump a little in fear. Jaemin might have been shadowing a general, but it didn’t mean that he didn’t get scared.

The young beta prince turns around to see a tuft of inky black sticking out of one of the garden bushes and walks near it. Oh thank goodness, it’s just a little boy stuck in one of the yellow rose bushes. Wait —

“What are you doing?” Jaemin crouches down to greet the black-haired boy. The little boy is a couple years younger than him, perhaps ten or eleven years old.

The boy’s cheeks are flushed red like the red sun above them.

“Hiding,” the boy nonchalantly answers as if it was the most obvious answer. Or more like trying to hide because he isn’t doing a very good job. Half of the ebony haired boy’s body is visible, and he assumes that one can see his legs sticking out from the other side of the rose bush.

The sight is rather endearing and moves Jaemin’s heart in soft awe. The raven-haired boy looks like a little hamster trying to hide in the crevices and wooden toys of its cage. So adorable the beta prince wants to pinch the flower boy’s crimson cheeks and press a kiss on his equally crimson nose; Bright red like one of those deer from the new Christmas tales that were in fashion in the Winter Kingdom. Mark said that the reindeer was called “Rudolph” and was a character popular in the Western continent.

The beta decides to restrain himself though because he’s been told that his citrus laced scent can be a little overwhelming, especially when he wanted something. Jaemin didn’t think his scent was too strong because he had grown accustomed to the scent of citrus; Along the ivory coast of his kingdom, orange groves lined the cliffs and children would spend their springs and summers eating the leftover fruit and throwing them at each other like a game dodgeball.

But a month after Jaemin presented, Mark kept complaining about how acidic he smelled. Jaemin wanted to eat a Winter Kingdom concha – a white sweet bread – in the middle of the night and Mark said no as the servants had closed the kitchen and it would not be opened till morning came. In frustration, Jaemin’s acidic scent permeated and marked his friend’s studio. Mark had no choice but to open the window during one of the coldest winters to ventilate the room.

“Sorry. I should introduce myself before Renjun yells at me for being rude. Hello, my name is Lee Jisung. The last prince of the Sun Kingdom. I am pleased to meet you.” He moves his head down in a faux bow. Oh he’s one of the Sun children, Jaemin realizes.

“Na Jaemin. Third prince of the Kingdom of the Sea,” he automatically replies.

Closely observing the child, Jaemin notes fair skin, cherub cheeks and button nose painted in a pinkish hue. Lee Jisung does not look anything like a child of the kingdom known for its hazy orange summers and red suns. His eyelashes are long and full, protecting bright chocolate brown eyes from the harsh light that just arrived with the new sunny season.

Jisung is cute and dainty, like a small pink peony ready to be plucked from its bush.

“From who?”

Jisung pouts. He really does look like a little hamster, Jaemin internally coos. Why can’t he have a cute little brother? All he has is Doyoung and Jeno. And Doyoung has always preferred Jeno over him. “My older brother.”

The Sun child sticks his head out even more, revealing a mess of inky black hair and leaves over his body. One of the thorns had scratched his small face, leaving a reddish mark on his left cheek. Jisung’s brown eyes are lustrous, much brighter than the yellow roses that were poorly hiding his body.  
“Why?”

The hamster-like boy scrunches his face. Jisung inflates his cheeks and somehow they become even more rosy than before. His eyes twinkle in a myriad of pensive thoughts. Jisung stays like that for a couple minutes before a bashful gleam appears. He signals Jaemin to come closer with a quick hand gesture.

“Can you keep a secret and do me a favor?”

Jaemin comes closer and nods his head. He thinks he’s good at keeping promises and giving people favors. He didn’t tell anyone Mark hid from Fire princess Mina — even when she threatened to scorch off his eyebrows. Mark really owed him for that escapade though. Fire princess Mina still threatens him every once in a while with violent letters that combust the moment they’re opened. He learned that the hard way and even to this day, Jeno won’t let it go. Jaemin may or may have not lost an eyebrow the first time he opened the first one the Fire princess sent him.

“Can you deliver this letter for me?” In Jisung’s other hand is an envelope.

It’s an envelope made out of golden parchment so soft it could have been made out of silk. It shimmers when the sneaky sunlight hits it, amazing the beta prince that such fine craftmanship existed on this earthly plane. On the seal of the letter, is a little orange sun painted in exquisite detail — little sunrays peeping out and extending to fill the golden empty space. Without a doubt, it’s a very beautiful envelope and one a child Jisung’s age cannot procure on his own. The letter must be of upmost importance for it to be embellished with the Sun seal.

“You’re free to ask what’s in the letter,” Jisung states as he raises an eyebrow. “My older brother’s sappy words may be too much for us to bear so I am obliged to warn you we may regret reading its contents.”

Sappy words? Is crown prince Jaehyun a sap? But he looked so —

“Yes my older brother is a romantic. And an idiot. A big idiot that hasn’t sent that letter yet. It’s been sitting on his desk for at least two weeks now.”

Jisung’s kind of stuck like the little hamster he was, but he doesn’t say anything. The black-haired boy hopes that Jaemin won’t notice the fool he’s made out of himself. “I hear that you are very good friends with crown prince Mark of the Winter Kingdom and if you are generous enough, please give him this letter at your earliest convenience.”

The flower child finally creeps out of his hiding place, taking a small jump to present himself. He wears a pair of embroidered beige overalls and brown boots. Jaemin can trace the small orange suns that laced the edges of the overalls, an emblem given only to the Sun goddess’ children. His boots look a tad too big for his stature, but Jaemin reasons it must have been because Jisung stole the letter and had no time to waste looking for his own pair of footwear.

“The letter is a marriage proposal,” Jisung continues and Jaemin’s eyes open wide in shock. Did Jaehyun fancy — “No. Ewww. Jaehyun is not interested in your friend. Well he is but not in the way you think!” The sun child exclaims, and he hits Jaemin’s head with a branch he found on the floor; He’s too short to reach Jaemin’s height and settles for the next best thing.

“Then what is it?” Jaemin rubs his head.

“You see…”  
  
“I see?”

“Um…”

“Um?”

“Okay, Jaehyun may have overheard that your friend fancies my beloved brother and he um…wants to play cupid for both of them,” Jisung blurts out.

Oh. That makes sense, Jaemin thinks. Wait — “Which brother are you referring to?” He doesn’t want another Fire princess tormenting him. He can’t lose another eyebrow.

“Will the name I give you determine whether the letter gets delivered to crown prince Mark or not?” The last Sun child challenges puffing his cheeks once again; Determination flares Jisung up.

“Perhaps.” He didn’t want to promise Jisung anything, even if he’s already extremely soft for the Sun child and wants to spoil him rotten already.

His childhood friend is rather infamous for rejecting every marriage proposal that came his way. Certainly crown prince Jaehyun must have heard about Mark’s pickiness and it’s probably the reason why he hasn’t sent the letter yet. Even Mark’s parents can’t do anything about their son’s refusal to accept any of his courtship requests — but it did seem that Queen Joohyun was rather amused by the entire ordeal and even egged her own son on when no one is looking.

“Then I must take my chances then. Hopefully the Sun goddess will be on my side today.”

Jisung looks up at the sky before revealing his brother’s name. He prays that the Sun goddess will bless him today. He did not spend hours sneaking around Jaehyun’s room and the entire castle for this to all fail.

His brother deserves to be happy and the only way for it to happen is if he leaves the palace. And the only way Donghyuck can leave the Sun Palace is if he gets married. It’s strange isn’t it? For an omega to be happy in the world they live in, they need to get married and hope that the domestic skills they cultivated the year after they present is enough to find a decent mate — or if one is lucky, beautiful enough to attract a good mate that might like them. Even though Jisung is only ten, he’s rather pessimistic and doesn’t dream of happily ever after’s; He’s never seen love bloom here.

Even though the Sun Kingdom has everything necessary for love to blossom, the dirt they stand on is too unwilling to provide nurturing, too unwilling to cherish the sprouts that try to grow here.

Omegas are not loved or reared to be protected and nurtured. He likened an omega’s destiny to a young duck, endlessly following its parent with the hope they’d stay together until he reached adulthood. The moment a child turned thirteen and presented as an omega, unwanted eyes fall on them. Every movement interpreted as seductive and could render a child a whore in a flash, even if they are crying for their parents to love them like they did before.

Jisung’s overheard from one of his half-siblings that crown prince Mark of the Winter Star is a kind person despite being from the land the Winter goddess kissed and claimed as hers. Somewhere in the white tundra he might never get to see for himself, love is able to bloom, and that love is tender and pure.

Tender and hardworking enough it can make the frozen land turn green when spring comes.

Jisung hopes that perhaps the tender precious love crown prince Mark still has a place for Donghyuck to be cared for and cherished.

Donghyuck was deserving of being cared for and loved for in tender warmth that could rival the wool of a lamb’s first pelt. Because Donghyuck has a precious and tender heart that deserves to be treated with utmost care.

“I am hoping that crown prince Mark of the Winter Star will consider marrying my older brother…” Jisung pauses again to make sure his voice doesn’t stagger. He can’t lose courage now. Not when he’s so close. He’s so close he can almost taste the acidity of citrus fruits on his tongue. “My older brother, ninth prince of the Sun, Lee Donghyuck.”

Jisung hand trembles as he holds out the letter and Jaemin can’t help but to feel his heart break at the sight. Here Jisung was doing all he can to protect his brother — even if it meant risking being punished again for sneaking out into the royal garden and meeting an already presented prince of a foreign land. Everything Jisung was doing would be deemed inappropriate.

There were marks – light marks drawn over lighter marks – that covered Jisung’s trembling hand. The scars covered his hands like small little rivers waiting to evaporate but they couldn’t quite leave because of some outside agent not letting them dry up and return back to the grey clouds.

Jisung had probably given up so much for a gamble that could have borne no fruit.

All for the sake of his brother, Donghyuck. Donghyuck who he saw as someone precious and deserving of being treasured.

Jaemin gently takes Jisung’s letter and places it carefully in his coat. He smiles knowing many things that Jisung doesn’t know just yet. Jisung doesn’t know that Mark was already extremely infatuated with Donghyuck and would accept the marriage proposal in a heartbeat. In fact, Mark would probably be the one to offer a handsome dowry in return for crown Jaehyun’s blessing.

But before Jaemin can say any comforting words, a big smile appears on Jisung’s face and his eyes brighten. His eyes twinkle like the white stars in the night sky and he beamed a smile that made the moon want to rise again to witness its beauty. The unpresented child then jumps and hugs the beta in what can only be described as gratitude.

For a child that looks like a little pink peony, Jisung is warm. Warm and bright just like the Sun he was descended from.

Something blossoms in Jaemin’s heart when he hears Jisung sobbing into his dress shirt.

It wasn’t the fiery sensation of his first love that made his heart burn. What blossomed in his heart was something he couldn’t quite find the words to describe. But he knew that even if he didn’t have the words to describe what he felt, Jaemin wanted Jisung to be happy.

He feels like he has something he wants to protect. The same way he wants to protect his older brothers Jeno and Doyoung and his dear friends Mark and Hyunjin. He doesn’t think it will be anything else but the want to prevent a small candlelight from losing its radiance before night falls.

In Jaemin’s daydream, he imagines taking Jisung by the hand and leading him outside the palace gates, allowing the ten-year old to see the world for himself.

In Jaemin’s daydream, he imagines waves gently hit the Azure Palace, almost like little sea-green butterfly kisses being peppered with ephemerality. He imagines the two running down the beige coast, letting the impending tides creep on their feet without a care they’d arrive completely drenched into the town.

“Jisung?”

The boy lifts his head up for a moment to meet Jaemin’s eyes. His eyes are puffy and red from his tears, but they are not full of sadness. His brown eyes are a little muddled, but they’re full of hope and the tiniest bit of confusion.

“Would you like to go whale watching with me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Talk to me on:  
> [CC](https://curiouscat.me/she-minion) & [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Sheminion1)


	3. Strawberry Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus 1

Their dates became much more intimate after the mating — Mark constantly steal kisses from his mate whenever he can — which is a given. His inner omega constantly begs Mark to be with his other half. Mating is not only a physical experience, it is an emotional and mental one. Proper mating founded on love always makes mates want to be in the presence of each other. In extreme cases, when one mate died, the other soon follows them into the dark to be reunited once more.

Mark doesn’t wish for that. He rather Donghyuck be alive and happy, but his inner omega has become increasingly possessive of the younger. He’d immediately scent his mate if he did not smell like the mix of strawberries and honey. And sometimes Mark has the urge to kiss the mating mark he had placed.

He fights the possessive urge to make the mark new again because he would never want to make Donghyuck feel uncomfortable. It’s taken them so long for their relationship to blossom into what it is today, and he doesn’t want his jealousy to ruin it.

He doesn’t like this new and green feeling at all, if he had to be honest with himself. It feels ugly and the ugliness manifested in his scent changing from sweet to sour. It was no longer the bright summery scent of strawberry fields.

“You smell rather sour today,” his mother notes as they eat breakfast together.

Donghyuck took Jisung into the town square that morning to buy him new clothing. The omega child experienced a growth spurt and many of his old clothes were too short to protect him from the winter months. Mark decides to stay behind to have breakfast with his mother (well his mother requested it).

The crown prince pouts. “I’m not sour. I’m just tired that’s all.”

His mother smirks and her eyes twinkle in amusement. She drinks the bitter black cup of coffee one of the maids prepared for her.

“I could smell your sour scent before I even stepped foot in the dining hall. Your inner wolf is taking control of you, Mark.” She says and pauses for a bit to drink more of her coffee. “I experienced a similar effect when I first mated with your father, but I thought that was because I was an alpha. I believed that I was being territorial of what I considered mine.

“But now I see it runs in the family and our sub-genders carry no effect on our possessiveness.” She chuckles.

“It feels ugly,” the crown prince mutters. “I don’t like feeling like this.” He crosses his arms and his scent grows stronger than before, filling the room with a pungent sour smell. Even his mother’s nose can’t help but to scrunch up at her son’s new scent.

She sighs and ruffles her son’s chocolate brown hair. “It’ll get better I promise. When your inner wolf finally consoles itself with the fact that it has finally found its equal and is loved with mutual respect and kindness, it will calm down. You are doing very well. You are being considerate of your mate’s feelings and boundaries, and for that, I am extremely —”

The Winter Queen doesn’t get to finish her compliment as Donghyuck runs over to hug his mate, causing Mark to fall over. The crown prince consort is now hovered over him.

“I’m so sorry. I should have —”

Mark simply hugs his embarrassed mate and basks himself in Donghyuck’s honey laced scent. He thinks he can stay like that forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to ask anything about Suns and Strawberries here or at [CC](https://curiouscat.me/she-minion). 
> 
> Talk to me on:  
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Sheminion1)


	4. Dandelions and First Loves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus 2

One spring after he turned thirteen, Mark welcomes pink flowers and green fields of dandelions and broken hearts. Mark had rejected another courtship proposal, this time from the Land of Fire. He possessed no interest in the beta female who tried to court him.

The Fire princess didn’t make his heart flutter and he’d rather read books than spend time with her. In fact he did when she came to visit in the hopes of winning him over. Mark locked himself in the library under the pretense of studying and preparing to succeed his mother. If the beta liked him even just a little bit, she would have known he loved to read and that she would find him in the library.

Instead he is met with another empty and superficial proposal he or his inner omega refused to accept. He sent the Fire princess away before she could burn the books Mark loved.

“You rejected her too!” Jaemin exclaims, shocked that his childhood friend rejected one of the most beautiful princesses in the entire continent.

Mark simply flicks Jaemin’s forehead in response. “I do not wish to marry someone I do not love.”

His inner omega is a foolish romantic. He didn’t want a love that was so-so. The love his inner omega didn’t have to be passionate and make seven-colored fireworks bloom in the night sky.

His inner omega just wants the romance that makes him giggle and be in love. That wasn’t so hard to ask for right?

The same spring, Mark travels to the Sun Kingdom for the first time.

The Sun Kingdom isn’t very far — as it was derived from the original Lee Clan that dispersed into three lands — but he never stepped foot on the sunny land before.

His parents, or to be more specific, his mother was never fond of King Lee. She abhorred the way he treated omegas and betas. She decided it was best to keep their distance from the sister land unless there was a need to contact her distant relative born of the same star.

And because of her disdain for the alpha king, Mark is left to explore the courtyard under the company of Yukhei and a couple other guards while his parents sign a trade treaty with King Lee of the Sun Kingdom.

Curiosity begins to mirth his chocolate brown eyes, and he decides to sneak away into the sunflower garden he spotted as the carriage brought them into the Sun Palace.

For a person as cruel as King Lee, Mark is surprised to see such a pretty and well cared for garden. Bright yellow sunflowers stretching out for the sun filled the landscape, as well as orange flowers he thinks are called poppies — they did not grow in the Winter Kingdom for it was too cold for them.

In the middle of the garden, he believes he sees the sun.

A boy a couple years younger than him sits in the middle, letting the sunshine pour onto his bronzed skin and hair. Mark swore he’s never seen the sun love someone so much before.

But what touches his heart and inner omega more, is the boy’s kindness. A servant boy accidently drops a cup of tea and instead of reprimanding him like Mark witnessed other noble children do, the boy simply asks if the servant didn’t burn himself and inspects the palm of their hands for any injuries.

He leaves the palace that evening liking how the name Lee Donghyuck left the tip of his tongue.

He thinks he’s in love. Or at the very least, infatuated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Markhyuck in this fic too much to let them go. This is the last bonus scene that didn't make it. Or is it? There's a small epilogue but it would spoil the sequel and won't be posted until after the sequel is out.
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> [CC](https://curiouscat.me/she-minion) & [Sheminion](https://twitter.com/Sheminion1)


	5. Sunflowers and Gold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus 3

Traditionally weddings in the Winter Kingdom were an extremely intimate event. Only blood relatives were allowed to attend with very few exceptions. Jaemin was invited by virtue of being Jisung’s tutor and guardian.

Mark and Donghyuck’s wedding was undeniably gorgeous and so full of love, it made Jaemin’s stomach flutter a little. The ceremony reflected what the future king admired most about their future consort and mate. Gold painted the usually white courtroom. Sunflowers and other yellow flowers pervaded the room as well.

Little Jisung ever so curious and so uninterested in romance, began playing around with the yellow and gold flowers that pervaded the royal courtroom. And Jaemin was given the task of refraining Jisung from hiding in the flower arrangements and scaring the guests.

(“Why can’t I sleep in the flowers? They look so soft like little clouds.”

“Jisung we talked about this. You can’t ruin my best friend’s wedding by taking a nap on the flowers!”

“But…”

“Fine. You win. Just sleep in the one behind that chair so no one notices.”

“Yay!”)

Mark was such an open book.

He perceived Donghyuck as the most beautiful person out in the entire world and Jaemin couldn’t help but to agree when Jisung gave his brother away during the ceremony.

Donghyuck wore a white ceremonial robe unique to the Winter Kingdom customs of marriage and adorning his head was a crown composed of an assortment of golden flowers and leaves. The flower crown somehow captured all the sunlight in the world and made Donghyuck shine in gorgeous golden radiance.

Or perhaps it was the Sun goddess watching over her favorite child’s wedding and giving Mark her blessing?

Regardless of the sudden sunlight’s origin, there was no one else in that room that could rival the omega prince’s enchanting and faerie-like beauty his wedding night. Not even Queen Joohyun herself – the gorgeous Winter Star – could be as lovely as the golden omega being escorted down the aisle by his younger brother.

The omega prince was obviously nervous but the usually calm and collected crown prince was as just as anxious as his fiancée.

Jaemin laments that Donghyuck never looked up at his about to be husband once during the ceremony except to lean in for the small chaste kiss that sealed their fate. Donghyuck would have seen the Winter Star’s child almost trip during the wedding vows that signaled that Mark would always and will forever protect and love him.

Maybe one day, Jaemin would have the honor of walking Jisung down the aisle and giving him away to a kind and loving person? But according to Jisung, Jaehyun would probably fight with him over the honor.

Jaehyun was a very protective older brother that spent his days and nights finding the right mate for his younger brother. Although the alpha crown prince wasn’t the person to send the letter as Jisung stole it, he muster the courage to write the letter. A proposal letter to Mark written with the encouragement of his advisor Sicheng, who had overheard that the Winter Star’s gentle son was infatuated with Donghyuck.

By overheard, Sicheng meant that Queen Joohyun directly inquired about Donghyuck’s presentation and said that her son held unrequited and pure affection for the Sun child. A truth not revealed to anyone but Renjun and reconfirmed the night before the wedding.

_“The infamous crown prince of the Winter Star is infatuated with Donghyuck?”_

_Renjun drops the tea he was about to serve Sicheng. Even Renjun heard about the fickle crown prince, but because of how he was treated in the Sun Kingdom, he had his own reservations about Mark. For him, there could not be such thing as love in an arranged marriage and one Donghyuck would have no say in. “You must be humoring me.”  
  
“I’m not,” Sicheng picks up the broken tea pot. “The marriage will be announced tomorrow.”_

_“Hello?”_  
  


_The omega servant drops the tea once again and rubs his forehead. He really needed to get a better grip of the tea kettle — somehow he always manages to drop it. He sniffs before turning around. The sweet summery scent of strawberries invaded his sensitive omega nose._

_Behind him was an dark-haired omega a couple years older than him in crimson robes lined in gold, similar to those the winter queen and king wore._

_“I’m so sorry,” the omega scrambles to clean up the spilled tea. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. I’m so sorry.”_

_The omega keeps repeating sorry until the mess is cleaned up._

_“You don’t need to apologize,” Renjun mutters. “I’m just a servant.”_

_The other omega frowns. “But you’re my fiancée’s dear friend.”_

_Fiancee? “Wait you’re the crown prince!”_

_"Yes?” Crown prince Mark answers. It’s more of a question._

_An omega, Renjun laughs to himself. No wonder Sicheng didn’t tell me more. King Lee would have never agreed to such arrangement had he known crown prince Mark was an omega._

_“Did you need anything?” He fakes his best smile._

_Crown prince Mark turns beet red. “I just wanted to ask what were Donghyuck likes_ _and um…you being his dear friend…I figured you would know best.”_

_Oh you’re in love aren’t you?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To my lovely readers, thank you and this bonus is for you. 
> 
> Curious Cat:  
> [CC](https://curiouscat.me/she-minion)  
> Twitter:  
> [Sheminion](https://twitter.com/Sheminion1)  
> 


	6. Epilogue

“What are you thinking of?” Donghyuck asks his mate as they sit in the palace courtyard for lunch, a common occurrence for the future rulers of the Winter Kingdom. Jisung and Jaemin would snicker at them saying that they were two idiots in love; So stupidly and so disgustingly in love, it was as if each one had hung the stars in the sky. 

Winter finally melted, allowing the green grass to peep through and continue to persevere, its stamina proving true. Little white and yellow flowers begin to peep and greet the spring with their bright attitude. The morning dew covers the growing grass, allowing it to capture some of the morning sun.

“Hmm…” Mark is pensive, thinking about the feelings he wanted to convey to his mate. He’s aware that at times Donghyuck is hit with worries he isn’t giving enough in the relationship. But Mark never considers that to be the case. There would never be a day he would never not want Donghyuck. “I’m thinking that I want to marry you and have kids one day.”

Donghyuck’s face instantly becomes rosy at the thought of having children. It’s not that he didn’t want to have children someday. He even had some names picked out — wait.

“We’re already married you dummy!” The omega prince consort finally exclaims, eliciting giggles from his husband.

“I know that Hyuckie. But I want to marry you right this time. Our first marriage was hastened by your presentation and I never got the chance to court you properly. You know following all the courting rituals and the gifts and the letters. Our first date was after we got married and you lied about not knowing how to read.” The omega crown prince cutely pouts, causing Donghyuck’s heart to flutter once again; He feels blue and orange butterflies becoming materialized within his now rapidly beating heart.

The bronzed omega simply wraps his arms around his mate’s waist to continue hiding his embarrassed face. He can feel his face burning like the spring sun watching them from above. “I still can’t believe you knew I could read the whole time.”

Mark simply presses a soft kiss on his mate’s mussed golden hair. “I thought it was adorable. You looked so adorable and sincere when I was teaching you. I didn’t want the lessons to stop.”

The sweet endearment only causes Donghyuck to turn even more crimson, like the sweet little apple he’s holding in his hand. 

“Jisung will probably want to name our first child.” Donghyuck finally breaks the comforting silence he found in his mate.

“Jisung? Why?”

“Jisung is the reason why I was able to meet you,” Donghyuck starts to explain. “He might want to have some input in the name we choose. If that’s alright with you of course.”

Mark lifts Donghyuck’s face with his finger, causing the younger to drop the red apple he was holding. “Of course it is. Jisung can name them all if you want to.”

“Really?” His mate responds “yes” with a small peck and catalyzes utmost radiant happiness in the other’s face.

“Of course. If Jisung is the reason why I am the happiest person in the world right now, then I will forever be in his gratitude.”

Making each second of his life meaningful, Donghyuck leans in for another kiss. He knows that Mark will always be there waiting for him, heart open and full of unlimited affection and respect. This time it’s his turn to give everything he has as well. After the gentle peck, Donghyuck takes a tight hold of Mark’s arm and lays his head on his mate’s shoulder.

The sweet scent of strawberries begins getting laced in amber honey, providing comfort to the two lovers.

In Mark’s eyes, Donghyuck’s smiling face is the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. The way the golden sunlight cascades down his equally as golden hair with so much ease and how it makes the green flecks in his hazel eyes mesmerized him. And his smile. Mark can’t help but to fall in love all over again.

What he doesn’t know because he’s so helplessly in love is that in Donghyuck’s eyes, Mark is equally and if not more captivating. Donghyuck loves playing with Mark’s dark hair and looking into his kind brown eyes. It’s no surprise to Donghyuck that he falls in love with Mark.

Donghyuck feels another smile creeping up on his face and allows his eyes to close. There is no need for him to continue living in fear. Here he is safe and loved. Extremely loved and for the first time in so long, he accepts the affection he’s given. All the time Donghyuck spent dreaming of a happy ending growing up, he finally has the chance to achieve his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone. This is the end of Suns and Strawberries. Originally I had no intention of adding these bonus scenes, but I couldn’t help myself from posting them. Thank you all for reading and to those who commented.
> 
> A lot of things went on in my head writing this short story, but I wanted to write a story where there were soft abo dynamics where respectful and mutual love can blossom. Obviously there were tropes I could not escape as it was set in a more historical time, but right now I feel like this was my best endeavor. Please read the thank you note. Love you all and to those who left kind words on my cc I send ♡. PS: There will be a Markhyuck wedding bonus from Jaemin's perspective.
> 
> Talk to me on:  
> [CC](https://curiouscat.me/she-minion)  
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Sheminion1)


	7. The Sun Child and Flower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donghyuck just wants Flower to be borne already.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy (and early for some of you) commencement to those of you who are a part of the class of 2020!!! I know that some of you may be the first to graduate in your families, or you may be non-traditional students (for those of you in uni) and I want to say congrats!!! You've made it this far.
> 
> And for readers and users protesting right now, I wanted to say I am with you and will always be with you. Please be safe: [BLM carrd](https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/)

_“Where is she?”_

Paintings of alphas and betas and omegas capture Donghyuck’s attention as he walks in the hallway. He thinks that they are what his papa called “antesters”, but the large expanse of the hallway commands his thoughts. The four-year-old doesn’t remember the hallway being this big before.

His doe-like eyes are filled with wander as his small legs lead him. He’s never walked in the palace this far by himself, his papa always holding him by the hand. But today Donghyuck puffs his chest and he’s going to find the Sun goddess.

“Duckie,” his papa tells him. The two are laying in their shared bed, Donghyuck’s golden hair being untangled by his papa’s hands. “Flower won’t be here until be here until winter. Flower can’t play with you until then.”

“But I want Flower to be here. I want someone to play with.” He pouts and looks at his papa almost as if to accuse of a lie.

Donghyuck is still tightly holding on his papa’s arm and likes playing with his papa, but his papa can’t run with him anymore. Flower is getting bigger each day and Donghyuck thinks that Flower might be bigger than the sun now. But Flower isn’t big enough to play with him yet, even if Donghyuck can now feel Flower moving when he tries hard enough.

But Donghyuck thinks he’s a smart four-year-old. He’s smart, he praises himself as he tries reaching for the doorknob. If he can find the Sun goddess, she can help make Flower big enough so he can play with Flower. The Sun Goddess is nice like his Papa. She can bring Flower come earlier than winter when he feels it’s too cold to go outside and play.

He jumps and jumps, but his legs are too small for his to reach the doorknob by himself. He tries jumping again, but it’s not enough. There’s still a foot separating him and the Sun goddess. Too stubborn, Donghyuck tries jumping again, this time his arm is stretched out as far as he can. His little fingertips barely touch the polished brass.

Before he can try jumping again, Donghyuck feels someone gently grabbing him by the arm.

It’s a boy that’s much taller than he is — he looks like a giant with his long arms and legs. His hair is a dark brown colour and his eyes too. And like Donghyuck, he has little gold suns embroidered on his shirt’s collar and the golden thread along the seams of his pants, just like the ones his papa dresses him in.

“Are you looking for something?” the boy asks as he squats to meet Donghyuck’s eye level. “You look lost.”

“I’m looking for the Sun goddess,” Donghyuck truthfully answers. His papa always tells him he shouldn’t lie. Lying is bad and Donghyuck is a good boy, so he doesn’t lie.

“Why are you looking for the Sun goddess.”

“She can make Flower big!”

Donghyuck stretches out his arms in a large v-shape to show the boy how big Flower will be when he finds the Sun goddess. His eyes are twinkling, and his face is shaped into the largest smile in the entire world.

“If Flower is big enough, Flower can play with me! And the Sun goddess can make him big enough to play with me.”

The boy smiles, his eyes almost as bright as Donghyuck’s. He takes Donghyuck’s hand and pats it softly, as if to reaffirm Donghyuck’s belief.

“Would you like me to help you find the Sun goddess?”

Donghyuck blinks and confusion is only present for a couple seconds until he breaks out into another large smile.

“Yes! I really want to play with Flower!”

“Ok,” the boy begins as he takes Donghyuck by the hand. “I hear that the Sun goddess likes being in the garden, so we should go outside and look for her there.”

“Really? My papa said she’s inside.”

The boy hums for a bit before responding, “Your papa is right but sometimes the Sun goddess likes playing outside and picking up flowers.”

“What’s your name?”  
  
“Donghyuck! I just turned four. What’s your name?”  
  
“Jaehyun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was filled with thoughts about deleting this fic and re-writing it completely it these past few days (quarantine thoughts) because I'm super unsatisfied with it but I noticed that people were still reading this story so I'm keeping it up and decided to add this drabble as an early commencement/graduation gift. I decided to make this fic viewable to all people as of 6/2/2020.
> 
> I won't make any promises for regular updates for this story, but I do want to say thank you again for everyone who was supportive of my first Markhyuck fic here.
> 
> Talk to me about anything. I'm bored and it's kinda lonely because all of my uni friends live in different parts of the US :[CC](https://curiouscat.me/sheminion) & [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Sheminion1)


	8. Thank You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please read and comment. I love comments. Comments make me happy

Hi! Thank you for reading my first Markhyuck fic. Love you all :)

December 14, 2019-

The second part of the story will be up some time this spring and hopefully after my next short work. I ended up deciding the second part will be posted here because it ended up being shorter than I thought it would be. Also as a way to say thank you for this fic reaching over 5,000 hits, I will be posting a re-written version of Suns and Strawberries when the sequel is up.

March 10 & May 31, 2020-

Thank you. You can ignore my rambles, but I really do want to thank everyone who read this story. Suns and Strawberries was written out of a shower thought I had during a lecture. I wanted to play around with the abo dynamic and have a cute romance story between two omegas, two omegas borne in similar and different circumstances. It started as a little drabble that turned into 15k+ dump of words. For this fic, I really just had the urge to subvert the abo genre because I always felt that omegas are strong and that their strength comes in various forms — for Donghyuck, it was reading and Mark is a crown prince in his own right and Suho a king and Renjun gets to explore his own dreams. I did mark this as underage because of the ending, but because of my own internal conflicts and the very nature of abo, I did not describe it in explicit detail. Idk if anyone will read this, but thank you again for the support this received. I mentioned this earlier, but I was conflicted on whether or not this work should be deleted because of how messy it is, but I will leave this up because it seems like people are still reading and enjoying this piece. I had another series, but I did not feel like I could do it justice so it’s why it’s not posted here anymore; At least until I feel that I can properly rework it.

I’m not very good at expressing myself so if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Even in Spanish and Italian if that is most comfortable for you :). 

Love you all and until next time!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/sheminion)
> 
> Twitter:  
> [Sheminion](https://twitter.com/Sheminion1)


	9. The Winter Solstice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark takes Donghyuck to celebrate the Winter Solstice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbetaed as usual and this is an extra that was supposed to be in the original one-shot.

“You don’t need to keep tying my scarf,” Donghyuck complains in a honey-laced tone, his cheeks bright red apples — from being kissed with frost and bashfulness.

The former Sun prince has been noticing that his cheeks have been flaring up in crimson red more than usual – the little cherub’s cheeks already do a lot because the poor omega is still extremely unadjusted to the snowy kingdom – and Donghyuck wonders if he’s running a fever like he did the first night winter hit.

The young omega still remembers how the snowy season left devastated in tears because he couldn’t handle its extreme fluctuations in temperature; his old home was almost always sunny with little variance in the seasons except for when the Sun goddess was angry — she would delay the summer for months unless Jaehyun asked her to bless them with sunshine.

“I won’t need to soon,” Mark replies with a soft smile as he finishes wrapping the red scarf around Donghyuck’s neck making sure that his young husband cannot be affected by the falling frost.

Mark always assures the younger that he’s not getting even more sick and is actually becoming accustomed to his new home. Mark never quite says _home_ though; the word, regardless of the affection and love its inherently conflated with, proves too strong a word.

Their marriage remains and will continue to remain an extremely delicate subject for the both of them. Had Mark not married Donghyuck, the latter would have certainly been engaged to the alpha minister that tried to mate him the day he presented and locked in the Sun Palace walls.

Scared and unhappy would have been the words that could completely encapsulate Donghyuck’s fate until the Sun Goddess intervened on his behalf and blessed him with meeting and marrying Mark Lee of the Winter Kingdom. There’s nights where Donghyuck wonders if Mark is his blessing from the Sun Goddess, but the omega slaps his cheeks whenever he entertains that thought.

Why would the Sun goddess bless him out of all the other Sun children in the palace _so early_? Especially when Donghyuck was only the child of a low-ranking concubine; his omega papa was only accepted as a concubine to spite the general of a kingdom Donghyuck’s father destroyed and annexed years ago.

And why would the Sun goddess bless him with Mark? Mark who is always kind to him and encourages him to pursue any hobbies he has — which usually consists of Donghyuck reading as much as he can and exploring the Winter Kingdom; He’s still not brave enough yet to venture outside the borders even to visit Jisung. He _is not_ someone deserving of such a kind husband nor does he think he will ever be.

Not wanting to allow himself to wallow in his thoughts any longer, Donghyuck pouts. “You said that last time and I still feel so cold.”

“But you will.”

Donghyuck scrunches his nose – which both Jaehyun and Jaemin claim is a habit Jisung inherited from him – and puffs his cheeks, but he lets the argument fade into nothing as he takes Mark’s hand and allows the older omega to lead them both to the festival.

Today is the Winter Solstice that marks the Winter goddess’ birthday — the kindest of the three goddesses. Donghyuck adores the Sun goddess very much, but he has to admit that she plays favourites and does not bless everyone equally like the Winter goddess who grants wishes to all of her children regardless of their birth and sub-gender; two of his older beta siblings were not gifted anything during the Ceremony of Miracles and he had overheard that his father wasn’t gifted with anything either.

On the longest night of the year, it is said that the Winter goddess appears before everyone in the middle of the town square and blesses lovers with promises of respect and kindness. Before the clock strikes midnight, one of the lovers is supposed to give the other a white ribbon and when the clock strikes midnight, give them a jewelled broach that would be blessed by the Winter goddess.

The ribbon tradition was based on the legend of the Winter goddess’ first love, Yukhei once told Donghyuck when the young omega was waiting for Mark to finish his lessons. Her first love had gifted her a broach and in exchange, she gave her a white ribbon she created out of the longest night’s snowfall.

Little snowflakes fall on the ground and pile up as if they wanted to become permanently embedded into the white and frost green landscape, almost protecting the small town from prying eyes. The two omegas walk down the palace’s road, their footprints a growing shadow. Donghyuck treads slowly across the snow and Mark helps him keep his balance as they walk down the small hill that bleeds into the now heavily blanketed town. Pines are as frosted as Donghyuck’s small button nose line the road.

Originally Yukhei and Renjun were going to escort the two omegas, but Mark dismissed them claiming that they deserved the day off. Donghyuck doesn’t mind not being escorted by guards anymore — he feels safest when he’s with Mark. When safe and Mark started sharing the same definition in Donghyuck’s eyes, he’s not quite certain; but he is absolutely certain of is that he feels the safest when he’s holding Mark’s hands.

As Donghyuck makes his way down the road, he sees betas, omegas, and alphas laughing all around the town and throwing snowballs at each other. Unpresented children made snowmen and happily run around the plaza as they wait for the Winter goddess’ annual appearance.

“Do you want to go play with them too?” Mark asks Donghyuck; his gaze must have lingered too long.

He immediately shakes his head “no” hoping that Mark would drop the subject.

“Are you sure? It looks really fun and I wouldn’t mind playing either. I haven’t made a snowman since Jaemin started receiving his military tutelage and stopped visiting me as much as he used to.”

“I’m fine. Thank you for asking though,” Donghyuck says as he shifts his envious gaze elsewhere.

The omega indeed wants to play around with the other children and he often did when he visited Hyunjin’s small bookshop (the young prince consort had actually become popular with the Winter Kingdom residents because of this and many were excited for him to officially become their beloved crown prince’s mate; unfortunately, these compliments only made him more embarrassed.)

-

“Oh Donghyuckie!” Hyunjin waves and snaps Donghyuck out of his reverie. The fourteen-year old omega now realises that he had lost sight of Mark because he was too distracted by all of the stands he wanted to visit. “Did you come see the Winter Goddess’ miracle too?”

The omega was extremely beautiful today.

Her raven coloured hair was styled in long waves flecked with white stars and her cheeks were painted slightly pink from the cold. Hyunjin wore a bright long plaid yellow coat just shy of her ankles and black boots. A ruffled collar could be seen, and it was tied with the white bow Yukhei said was customary for one to gift their mate before the ceremony; when midnight hit, the last piece of the ribbon would be given and be sealed with a kiss:

A crystal broach.

“You look very pretty today, Hyunjin,” Donghyuck says.

Hyunjin smiles, her eyes becoming little crescents. “Thank you. You look very pretty today too.”

“Thank you. Are you here with someone special?”

Donghyuck’s question’s elicits the most bashful expression and Hyunjin’s nose and cheeks are painted pink.

“Yes,” the omega shyly confesses, her voice almost a whisper that could rival how quietly the snow piles up. “Or at least I hope so.”

The ravenette frowns, causing Donghyuck to give her a hug like all the ones Hyunjin has given him whenever he visits her bookshop.

“I’m sure that person must like you too. You’re one of the most amazing people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, Hyunjin. You absolutely deserve the world and you need to go look for your special person. If they don’t give you a broach today, it’s their loss.”  
  
“But what about you? It’s your first time watching the Winter Solstice, I wouldn’t want you to get lost.”

“I’ll be fine. I wanted to take the chance to check out the souvenir stands anyways.”

Donghyuck waves Hyunjin goodbye and heads over to the souvenir stands that got him lost in the first place; he sighs to himself, face full of unease. 

There’s a little snow prince carving he buys for Jisung and there’s a pretty be-jewelled parchment he buys to write Jaehyun a letter (Jaehyun was secretly a connoisseur for fine stationary.) Donghyuck’s been meaning to write his older brother one for so long, but he’s never found the right words that could convey how much he still loved Jaehyun.

I _should_ invite him to come over, he thinks to himself as he looks through the gift bag and holds it close to his chest. Donghyuck continues walking through the white blanketed town, leaving behind small footprints like the rest of the Winter Kingdom residents.

At a food stand, he buys a bag of small conchas he plans on eating later when he returns to the palace (he developed a liking to them since the first night of his marriage.) The little omega looks at other souvenir stands and sees young couples buying each other ribbons and broaches.

Donghyuck frowns at the sight and he feels his heart become tinted in green envy. He should be here with Mark enjoying the Winter Solstice. Not all alone and lost.

“Are you interested in buying something for your mate?” One of the vendors asks with a bright smile. It’s a kind omega with long black hair that reminds Donghyuck of a bear.

“We’re not mates yet,” Donghyuck shyly replies as he looks through all the ribbons and broaches. They were indeed very beautiful and worthy of being blessed by the Winter goddess. Each ribbon was a different shade of white and each broach reflected a different colour of the rainbow.

The vendor nods in understanding. “So, are you courting each other?”

Donghyuck shakes his head, but his flushed face gives him away. He’s extremely flustered thinking about all of the dates the two have gone on.

Instead of teasing the young royal prince consort, the kind omega hands Donghyuck a white scarf. “Everyone believes that the only things lovers give each other are ribbons and broaches on the day of the Winter Goddess’ birthday. While that is a tradition we practice, the tale originally started with sharing a scarf on a cold winter day.

“When the Winter goddess fell in love for the first time, it was on a day very much like this. Her lover was extremely cold, and she gifted him a scarf woven by her with utmost affection and love. Somehow the tale had become distorted and people came to believe that what the Winter goddess and her first love gave each other was a white ribbon and broach.”  
  
“Do many people know about the original practice?” He asks, thinking about all the times Mark wrapped a scarf around his neck.

“Hmm…not many but there are a couple people who do. The queen gifted her husband a scarf when they were engaged, and they would walk around the Winter Solstice all the —”  
  
“Donghyuck! I finally found you.” Mark hugs Donghyuck. “I’m so sorry we got separated. I thought you were behind me.”

“It’s okay. I’m at fault too. I got distracted by all of the stands and I should have stayed put.”

Mark shakes his head. “No. I was supposed to show you around —”  
  


“Can we go see the fireworks display instead of finding who is at fault?” Donghyuck says, using his honey scent to assuage the older that everything was okay.

The two head off, but not without Donghyuck thanking the vendor.

“Mark,” Donghyuck stops in his tracks. “Can we go home early?”

Mark looks slightly disappointed by the request, but he fakes a small smile to appease Donghyuck. Donghyuck smells Mark’s strawberry laced scent slightly sour — something that could have easily been missed had it not been because of how much the omega loves him.

“Is something wrong Donghyuck?” Mark asks him, worry showing through his eyes.

Donghyuck’s own scent spiked and fills their noses with the smell of honeysuckles at the realisation that he had fallen in love this past months.

Donghyuck interrupts Mark by wrapping him in the white scarf the vendor had given him.

This time Donghyuck paints red on Mark’s cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this is the final extra of Suns and Strawberries — I'm not sure if I should continue posting more because I'm not sure if people still even read this series' extras. There was a lot I wanted to write for this series, but I would have to start from scratch again and this was the hardest piece to write because of how I wanted to depict an omega x omega story and I think this was the first one for the markhyuck tag so I did feel a bit burdened by this story.
> 
> Take care and always put yourselves first.
> 
> [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/she-minion) | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/She__minion) | [carrd](https://duckiemomo.carrd.co/#)  
>   
> [The Trevor Project](https://www.thetrevorproject.org/?gclid=CjwKCAjw5cL2BRASEiwAENqAPhxOuYnrbOtzgOng5ewGXwtHd7HVP_5e9SBE-MN-EIfYvT6ZrWB03hoChGUQAvD_BwE) | [Feeding America](https://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank) | [BLM carrd](https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/) | [Campaign Zero ](https://www.joincampaignzero.org/)  
> | [Know Your Rights](https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/immigrants-rights/)  
> 


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